Fate With you always
by Ichibiluva
Summary: Granted a wish by the world for her victories in the Grail Wars, Saber wishes to return to modern day Japan to explore a relationship with Shirou. There is one condition - she cannot tell him who she really is.
1. To be with you

A/N: Hey guys this is my first fanfic for this anime/manga, and my first chapter fic at that! I hope I did a good job and reviews are appreciated! I tried to get the Japanese terms as accurate as possible as well as the cultural aspect. If I have made any mistakes constructive criticism (not flames) is appreciated. This is how it works

"xxx" - speech

'xxx' - thoughts

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx - change of scene

Enjoy~

Leaning against the tree, Saber gazed, glassy eyed across the waters of the lake. 'What a beautiful place to die..'. Everything was becoming blurry, her vision fading to black when suddenly she heard a little voice in her head.

"Is it really alright for it to end like this?" Saber mentally started as she heard it.

"What do you mean?", she asked. "Everything's done, I destroyed the Grail and can finally die in peace.."

"Ah," the voice replied. "But what about the boy? What about Shirou?"

Saber cast her gaze downwards. "He too, is content with the outcome. All is finished."

"Oh really?" the voice asked mockingly. "So if I were to say that there was a way for you to go back, you would choose not to?"

"It matters not." said Saber gruffly. "That is impossible."

"Really, my dear Arturia, you shouldn't place limits on me like that." The voice feigned hurt. "I can do anything, you know."

Saber said nothing, thoughts barrelling through her head like a bullet train. If she were to return to modern day Japan, would she and Shirou be able to explore the feelings that they'd admitted for each other?

As if it had read her mind, the voice began to speak again. "Because of your extensive contributions to two Grail Wars, emerging victorious in each one, the world has decided to allow you one wish. So what will it be?"

'Really,' Saber mused, 'I must be going mad'. However, she replied, "I wish to be with Shirou!"

Unearthly laughter reverberated through her skull. "Good choice. However, there is one condition. You are to be reincarnated as Aurora Prendergast, a British exchange student to Homurabara Gakuen. You are not to inform Shirou of your true identity, unless he himself arrives at that conclusion. One more thing.. Enjoy your second life.."

The darkness converged around Saber and she felt the sweet kiss of oblivion. Meanwhile, the young king's head slumped lifelessly onto her chest, a single beam of light illuminating her peaceful smile.

"Mm? Ugh.." Rin Tosaka rolled over sleepily as her doorbell's shrill ringing jolted her from the embrace of sleep. Looking up blearily her tired eyes focused on the outline of her butler.

"Ojou sama," he bowed. "My apologies but there is someone at the door."

"Gah!" Rin pulled the covers over her head. "Seriously? At six thirty on a Sunday morning? Who the hell is it, Saki?"

"Some girl ma'am," bowed the butler. "Says she's an old friend of yours."

"Oh for the love of.." Rin leapt out of bed and, pulling on a robe, stormed out her bedroom and down the stairs. Whoever she was, she was going to get it big time. "Who in the hell-" Rin began as she threw open the door, but stopped as soon as she saw who it was. "I thought you were..!" Rin gasped but controlled her confusion, her usual, suspicious scowl settling back on her face. "Just.. Come in."

Collapsing into a sofa, Rin couldn't believe her eyes. Standing in front of her was a girl around her age, with light blonde hair pulled into a bun and eyes as green as emeralds. 'It cant be her.' Rin fumed. 'Just a lookalike, trying to freeload in my mansion. Keep calm and kick her out as quickly and nicely as possible.'

"So, you say you know me eh." Rin sneered suspiciously, eyes narrowing to disguise her curiosity.

"Indeed." replied the blonde girl. "I was hoping that you would be able to take me in, if not as a friend, as payment for my recent services to you and your friend."

Rin leaned back into the plush material. "Oh? And pray what services might those be? You must know that I do not simply take strangers into my house."

The other girl's eyes flashed. "Just because you think I died does not mean that I am not the same person you knew before!"

Rin's jaw dropped. "Oh my gosh.." she muttered. "That hairstyle, that weird way of speaking.. You really are Saber!"

Relieved that Rin had finally understood who she was, Saber nodded. Rin,still speechless shook her head in disbelief, but regained her composure and clicked her fingers.

"Saki! Bring me two cups of tea and prepare the spare room! This girl's gonna be staying, and she has a lot of explaining to do!"

"..and so I was allowed to come back to this place, but was forbidden to reveal my true identity to Shirou." Saber finished, taking another sip of her tea. Rin sat opposite her, stunned into silence but eventually wet her lips and said,

"I see. This is an interesting development."

"What do you mean?" Saber raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"In all my studies of Servants and the Grail Wars, I had never even thought that something like this was even possible!" exclaimed the dark haired beauty. "Are you telling me your love for Shirou was so strong, it allowed you to bypass the normal regulations and be granted a wish to return to your Master?"

"To be truthful, I do not know why or how I was allowed to come back." sighed Saber. "All I know is that this is a chance for me to put my past behind me and start a new life in this country.. And to be with Shirou."

'She really must love him' Rin smiled sadly, but clapped her hands and stood up abruptly. "Well if you're gonna be starting anew here, you're gonna need to act like someone who lives in the twenty-first century!" When Saber looked as if she was about to interject, Rin continued, "So that means getting rid of THOSE.." she pointed at Saber's medieval garb, "..and learning how to talk like a teenager, not like some stuffy noble brat!" Grabbing Saber by the hand, Rin summoned Saki once again. "Take care of the house Saki, we've got some shopping to do!"

"Really, Tosaka, what's the rush?" Saber inquired as they headed to the shopping district. Even though she had caught the bus once on her date with Shirou, she was still unused to seeing the buildings and people passing the window far more swiftly than they would on horseback. Rin did not reply, merely dragging the startled knight off the bus and onto a street lined with stores and boutiques. Saber was glad to be off the bus, as she had attracted many stares, clad in a medieval gown that matched the colour of her eyes. Without further ado, Saber was shoved into one of the boutiques, and Rin immediately began perusing the racks for clothes. Within minutes she thrust armfuls of blouses, miniskirts and shorts in Saber's arms and hustled her into the change room. The shop assistant blinked confusedly and shook her head. 'Kids these days..'

"There you go! Not half bad even if I do say so myself. " Saber opened her eyes at Rin's behest to see a stranger staring back at her from the mirror. The girl she saw didn't look remotely like her, with soft golden hair flowing to just beneath her shoulders, and smoky blue eye shadow on her eyelids. She was wearing a white tube top, with a short blue miniskirt and long navy boots. In all, the girl staring back at her from inside the glass was, in a word, captivating.

Content with her work, Rin scowled when Saber ruined the effect by smoothing her hair and pulling down her skirt. "Tosaka, this is.. Very nice but is it not immodest?"

Rin facepalmed. "It's what girls wear nowadays."

Saber nodded in understanding and resumed examining herself. When she was done, she turned to Rin and surprised her by giving her a brief, awkward hug.

"Rin, thank you."

A/N: Well there you go, first chapter! Shirou will be in the next one. If there's anything you'd like to see happen in the story please say it in a review or PM. Thanks for your support!


	2. Dancing with doubt

A/N:Okay guys here's chapter two! Thank you to everyone who reviewed and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. Issei is quite OOC here, but I think his brush with Caster/Medea would have changed him quite a bit; he actually found a girl attractive! Well anyway, on with the story!

Shirou strolled idly through the front gates of Homurabara Gakuen, reflecting upon the Grail War for what must've been the thousandth time. It had been two weeks since the end of the war and the grail had been destroyed once and for all. The destruction had been attributed to a freak fire and the public was relieved that the spate of unexplained deaths had stopped. Little did they know that the so-called 'fire' was a result of his and Saber's final, epic battle with Gilgamesh and the deaths had been caused by Servants harvesting souls, either to replenish themselves or at the command of their masters. The sense of excitement that came from being involved with the supernatural had disappeared along with Saber and though he was glad to be able to walk down a street without fear of being attacked by servants, it felt as if a part of him had also vanished. He sorely missed Saber's calm, stoic presence in his house, and the times that Rin and Archer would burst through his door to inform him of another Master's latest doings. He missed seeing Rin's loafers in the entrance of his house and the sound of the girls' feet padding around the corridors at night. Life was returning to normal and the only reminder of his grand adventure was the fact that Rin would now sit with him in the cafeteria. 'Stop it,' he told himself angrily, "Saber's gone and she isn't coming back. " There was no point in thinking about a love that could never be.

"Shirou! Shirou! SHIROU!" Rin called, waving her arm and running towards him. "Hey wake up sleepyhead!" she smirked, thumping him over the head with her bag. Shirou scowled.

"Geez Rin, watch where you're- " Shirou's voice trailed off as he caught sight of the girl walking towards them. At the same time, Saber lifted her head and looked straight at Shirou.

Their eyes met.

Noticing that her two friends were blatantly staring, open mouthed and wide eyed at each other, Rin stepped in between them, but before she could do or say anything, the bell for class went. "Oh would you look at that!" she laughed. "Gotta run!" and with that she raced across the schoolyard, dragging Saber behind her. Pressing Saber up against a wall, Rin urgently whispered,

"Hey don't give him too much of an indication that it's you! You have to use your new identity to get to know him better!"Saber nodded mutely and was released from her grip. "Now get your crazy ass to the principal's office, if you're really meant to be here then things would have been sorted out for ya."

Twenty minutes, and a principal who had, to her eyes, quite obviously been magicked, Saber made her debut in Homurabara Gakuen. Staring at a sea of curious faces, she wondered how she was going to manage in this strange and unfamiliar environment. The homeroom teacher, Taiga Fujimura entered and beamed at her classmates.

"Good morning everyone!" she chirped. "Today I would like to introduce a new student, Aurora Prendergast who has moved here from England as a transfer student. Please give her a warm welcome."

There was a smattering of applause and Saber took the opportunity to examine the faces more closely. Most people were whispering to their friends about the "strange blonde girl", some looked fascinated and a couple of girls looked.. Annoyed?

'I can do this.' she thought, stepping forward confidently. Addressing the class, Saber bowed. "Nice to meet you."

"Great!" smiled the ever-joyous teacher. "Please take your seat."

Settling herself in the seat just behind Shirou, Saber could feel the eyes of her classmates boring into her. Ignoring the feeling of unease, she opened her book and focussed on the spidery text. In the background she could hear the whispers and feel the stares. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she sighed.

'What have I gotten myself into?'

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Although most of the students in her class were fascinated by her, having never seen a foreigner in their lives, many were put off by Saber's brusque, irritable manner, and she was soon known to be sullen, antisocial and hostile. Her only friends were Rin and Sakura, whom she sat with at mealtimes. They were joined occasionally by Shirou, who Saber caught staring at her sometimes, but he was too apprehensive to make the first move and talk to her, which she was ironically waiting for him to do.

"…Shirou!" the voice of his friend Issei cut through Shirou's daydreaming and he turned around with a scowl.

"Yeah? Geez, you shouldn't interrupt people when they're thinking y'know. "

Issei grinned back. "Whatever man. Hey y'know you really should make a move on her soon."

Shirou's scowl deepened. "If you're talking about Tosaka, we really are just friends."

"No, idiot!" chortled the other boy. "I meant HER! The one you're always staring at."

Shirou froze for a second. Was he really that obvious?

"I..have no idea what you're talking about." he deadpanned, hoping Issei would buy it.

He didn't.

"Don't try to deny it man, I see ya looking over at blondie all the time."

Annoyed that his friend was so oddly perceptive, Shirou snapped, "It's not what you think. She just looks like someone I used to know."

'And love,' his mind added, but Shirou dismissed that thought.

Issei cocked his head to the side and stepped forward, placing a hand on Shirou's shoulder. "Doesn't seem that way to me. Face it man, you're totally into her, go make a move!"

Shirou swatted off Issei's hand. "Whatever man. I'm going home." Without further ado, Shirou sped up, striding briskly through the school gates.

"Dang it!" Shirou plopped himself down on the tatami mats in his living room, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. After Saber's departure, his friends, Sakura and Rin in particular had noticed a change in him. He talked less, smiled less and seemed to crave the company of no one. It was as if he had lost a limb. Shirou laid on the mats, staring upwards blandly. Without her, everything seemed so pointless…

"STOP!'' his brain told him. "Saber wouldn't want you to be like this."

'It was coming along all right, until that girl showed up.' Shirou thought bitterly. In a sense, he disliked the new girl for reminding him of the Servant he'd lost.

'And yet why can't I stop thinking about her?' he wondered glumly. Lying where he was for a few minutes, listening to the steady ticking of his clock, he suddenly stood up and headed to his shed. There, he picked up the wooden sword that he'd once used in a training match against Saber and began to practise his strikes. After practising for hours, he put down the sword, strode to the veranda and sat gazing nonchalantly at the stars.

'Saber,' he thought. 'I never want to forget the time we shared, but it simultaneously causes me grief.. Why can't I stop thinking about you?'. The stars twinkled merrily above, silent witnesses to his nighttime musings. He shifted slightly and focussed on the sword he'd laid on the ground. Sword.. That was it! The brown haired boy got to his feet and re-entered his house, confident in the knowledge of what he should do

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You can't be serious," groaned Rin, as Saki stood beside her bed holding the telephone. "Who is calling so late at night?"

"It appears to be Shirou, ojou-sama," said the lanky butler. "He says it's important."

Grumbling and muttering darkly, Rin snatched the phone from him and answered "What is it?"

"Hey Tosaka, it's me." came Shirou's voice. He sounded excited and Rin braced herself for what he'd say next. What he said took her completely by surprise.

"I want to join the kendo club."


	3. My mirror, my sword and shield

A/N: Ok sorry I haven't updated in a while, exams, studies and relationships have been really crazy, even though that might be a lame excuse. I will try to update once a week but currently I have some personal issues to sort out so thank you for bearing with me. Just as a note, Rin, and the content of this story is based off the Fate/Stay Night anime. Thus the character portrayals might be different to what you're used to but hey everyone interprets the characters differently. After you read this chapter, if you have any idea at all as to how Shirou will find out who "Aurora" is, please don't hesitate to send a PM or leave it in a review. If I choose to go along with your suggestion I'll be sure to give you due credit. Enough of my rambling, on to chapter 3.

As Shirou walked, with trepidation to the kendo club's practice shed, he replayed his conversation with Rin over in his mind.

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"Shirou are you mad!" She exclaimed. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Yeah I know Tosaka, my bad." before Rin could furiously interrupt, Shirou continued "I heard the kendo club is pretty exclusive and you get in by interview, so dyou know anything about it?"

"First of all," she started. "Why do you even wanna join? What about the archery club?"

"Yeah but.." Shirou paused, "I just wanted to do something that reminds me of Saber, y'know eventually I'll get over her that way. Especially if I get hit as much as I think will. "

Rin smirked. 'So he really doesn't know about the latest.. Happenings in said kendo club.' Putting on a professional voice, she stated, "Listen up. If you want into the kendo club, the 'interview' is actually more like an audition. You have to have a match with one of the members and do well enough to be let in. Once you're in, you're considered a freshman and will be given the most troublesome jobs. Then there are competitions. If you do well in practice and in competitions, eventually you'll be "promoted". Got it?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

'Right,' thought Shirou. 'All I need to do is have a match right? Easy.'. Knocking on the shed door, he was greeted by a short second year boy who looked at him questioningly. "Uh hi," said Shirou, "I want to join the kendo club."

"Hai, senpai." replied the boy and turned around, beckoning Shirou to follow him. Shirou took his time to examine the inside of the shed. Wooden swords were arranged neatly in racks, the practice armour hung neatly on hooks, each set with a label for each member's name. The members of the kendo club, about seven or so people in total were kneeling in the seiza position around the walls, each looking apprehensively at Shirou.

"Buchou!" called the second-year. "We have a new applicant!"

The captain, a slim individual already dressed in the practice armour turned to face Shirou and both their eyes widened.

'That new girl.. Aurora is the club president?' Shirou's head did a quick double-take. The junior was talking animatedly with her, after which she picked up a wooden sword and tossed it to him.

"Here."

Catching it, Shirou felt it in his hand gingerly. It was slightly heavier than the ones he had, and felt unfamiliar. "I know how this works. Who is my opponent?" he inquired, boldly meeting Aurora's gaze. She smiled slightly.

"Since Rin has told me about your prowess, your opponent will be me."

Shirou stepped backwards, shocked, and then shook his head vigorously. "Stop it, she's not Saber. Just remember your training and you'll be able to beat her, no problem." Stiffly, he nodded and stepped into the middle of the floor, sword held at the ready. The two circled each other, taking in their opponent's height, build and possible attack range.

'Shirou, I'm sorry, but I will go easy on you.' thought Saber, and with that she made the first move, bringing her sword down in a diagonal slash. Quick as a flash, Shirou brought his up to meet hers, the dull thud of wood on wood sounding through the shed. Immediately, Shirou was struck by just how strong she was. Although she didn't look like she was exerting a lot of strength, Aurora was easily overpowering him, her sword pressing his further towards the ground. Grunting, Shirou slid his sword away and made to strike at her unguarded side. Immediately, she parried, taking advantage of his momentary surprise to deliver an onslaught of blows and forcing him to the ground.

"That's our buchou!" he dimly heard a girl say in the background. Her friend tutted sympathetically.

"Poor guy doesn't know what he's up against, I'm surprised he hasn't given up already."

Undeterred, Shirou got back on his feet and brandished his sword. "I can keep going," he winced.

'That's the Shirou I know,' thought Saber as she readied another attack. The two resumed combat, with Saber effortlessly landing strikes on his head chest and abdomen. They fought until Saber's latest combination of attacks had him on his knees.

"Give up," she sighed. "You'll do better in archery."

Panting with exertion, Shirou climbed back up again. "N-no. There's… someone I need to join for."

Saber 's fists quickly clenched and unclenched, her gaze falling to the tatami floor. Shirou noticed this moment of hesitation, and it cost her dearly as he made a swift downward slash towards her torso. She leapt back, but the tip of the sword rapped her smartly on the shoulder, causing the watching audience to gasp in astonishment. In all their practices, no-one had ever been able to land a blow on her, and yet this boy from the archery club had been able to. Surprised, but smiling, Saber placed a hand on Shirou's sword and lowered it.

"Not bad rookie." Addressing the other members, she announced, "Well that's the end of practice. See you next practice." "That means you too, Emiya." she added as she removed her armour and made to leave. Shirou stood, rooted to the spot for a second, then a grin spread across his face and he nodded.

"Understood, buchou!"

She glanced back over her shoulder at him, and for a moment he could've sworn he saw the glimmer of a faint smile before she exited the shed.

"Practice is every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from four. Don't be late."

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"He what!" exclaimed Rin, nearly leaping out of her armchair. "He actually got you on the shoulder?"

"Yes, I was careless." answered Saber, a furrow in her brows. Rin shook her head.

"No, this means that you get three days a week to be with him after school!"

Saber considered this. "Not exactly. There are other members too, you realise."

Rin grinned mischievously. "Maybe, but isn't he currently ranked the lowest in the club? Find excuses to stay back with him after practice when he cleans up, say he needs remedial class or something."

Saber nodded, processing the idea. "But Rin, it's been two weeks and he hasn't spoken a word to me. How do you know we'll ever get to be together?"

Rin sighed. "I don't. But this way you'll have more of a chance to y'know.. Get him."

'Courting these days is nothing like how it was in my day,' thought Saber as she rose to pour herself a cup of tea. 'Arranged marriages were much simpler.'

A/N: Well this is it! Reviews are all greatly appreciated.


	4. The lost king

A/N: Ok people my laptop has broken and I'm borrowing one to upload this chapter so I might not be able to update for awhile. This chapter contains more developments on the ShirouxSaber side and I hope you like it!

Saber was on the way home from school with Rin the next day when she saw Shirou walking to school with Sakura. Nudging Rin, who took the cue, the two girls hid behind a wall to observe what would happen.

"So nice of you to walk me home, Shirou-kun." smiled Sakura.

"No problem," replied Shirou. "Once you've got your bow, we can hurry back and be just in time for practice."

Seeing the two so happy and comfortable with each other, Saber felt a bubble of anger welling up inside her, and something in her chest clenching. 'What is this feeling?' she wondered. 'Shirou is happy, so why am I feeling this way?' Noticing her friend's inner turmoil, Rin came to her rescue.

"Hey, Saber, I think I know how you feel," she began. Saber blinked, but listened intently. "You saw how happy Shirou was with another girl but you yourself were unhappy. You then wondered why you felt that way, when the person you loved was smiling, am I right?" Taken aback at how accurately the raven haired girl had described her feelings, the former king bowed her head mutely.

"It's called jealousy," stated Rin. "And the only way to combat it is to fight fire with fire! That means fighting Sakura for Shirou!"

Shocked, Saber took a step backwards. "What? I can't possibly challenge her to a duel! Anyway, isn't she your sister?"

Rin facepalmed again, forgetting that Saber was from a different time and thus thought differently. "I didn't mean an actual fight. I meant that, instead of going after her, go after Shirou more aggressively! And yes, technically we are sisters, But since she's Sakura Matou now, she technically belongs to another family."

Saber sweatdropped. "I don't know if that's quite how it works…" but was interrupted.

"Semantics. But are you OK with seeing him with another girl?"

"…."

"Exactly! So take my advice and make sure you find any excuse to be with him, preferably alone."

"I don't know about this…"

"Trust me! Everything will be fine…."

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On Wednesday during club practice, Saber made the members split into pairs and spar. Being a new member, Shirou spent his first official practice being whacked into shape by the blonde. He couldn't do anything right. His shoulders were too stiff, his stance too narrow, his arm insufficiently braced and his posture when lunging was often poor. The unfortunate Shirou was struck time and again by the club president's sword at every possible opening, finally falling backwards with a groan of pain.

Saber sighed and backed away. 'His technique is still shoddy, but all the better for me to give him extra training.' When the boy made to stand up, Saber clapped her hands and yelled,

"Practice over everyone! Remember the tournament is in five weeks so we have to step it up! I'm still seeing sloppy guarding here!" Everyone muttered,

"Hai.." and trudged towards the racks to put away their equipment, before putting on their shoes and going home. As Shirou tried to follow them, Saber stopped him and shook her head.

"You gotta help clean up remember? You're ranked lowest after all."

Shirou resignedly began to polish the swords with a cloth, under her watchful eye. Sighing again, Saber picked up a cloth and a sword, sat beside him and started cleaning as well. Stunned, Shirou stuttered,

"Bu-buchou! You really don't have to do that, it's my job!" Pretending she hadn't heard a thing, Saber continued to shine the wood, her calm, expressionless façade in stark contrast to her wildly beating heart.

"Geez you're so stubborn," muttered Shirou, resuming work when the girl finally spoke up.

"Not like that. Rub it along the grain."

Puzzled, Shirou cocked his head and stared at her quizzically. Patiently, she got up, walked over to where he was and placed her hands over his. Shirou was briefly puzzled by her change in mannerisms as she guided his hand firmly but gently over each sword in turn. Through it all, Shirou bit his bottom lip, wondering why his pulse had suddenly begin to race. When they were done, she said nothing, silently walking away. Shirou waited until she was gone before voicing his innermost thoughts.

"What the hell just happened?"

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As soon as Shirou's feet felt the familiar, coarse tatami of his room against them, he plopped himself on the ground and closed his eyes.

'That girl, Aurora,' he wondered. 'Do I feel differently towards her because of Saber or…' He shook his head vigorously, banishing the taboo suggestion that came to mind.

"Of course it's because she looks like Saber. There's too much similarity in their features for me not to think about her. It's like I'm looking at Saber."

"But ah," whispered a tiny voice in his heart. "Aren't they a little too similar?"

"I don't understand."

"Think boy! She's cold, Saber's cold. She excels at swordplay, so does Saber. She shuns everyone, Saber did too! Don't you think they could be related?"

"No way."

"Is that true? Then why does your heart beat so when she is around? Did not your Servant arouse the same feelings?"

"You're wrong! Maybe I do see her differently, but it's only because of the similarity. I will always love Saber."

"Then could that be it? That you're falling for her because you see her as a substitute?"

Shirou desperately wanted to deny it, but saddened upon realising he couldn't. Opening his eyes and looking around his room he caught sight of it - the adorable stuffed lion he had bought his Servant less than a month before. A reminder of who he loved, and why.

"I will always love Saber." He said, this time out loud and sat up.

"With or without that girl."

The lazy afternoon sun smiled half-heartedly, shooting streaks of orange and red light through the windows of the archery club's room. Squinting in annoyance at the light obscuring her view, Ayako the club president attempted to make her shot but failed, the arrow flying centimetres from the target.

"Ah buchou, if I may, I think you should angle your head like this, so that the sunlight doesn't get in your eyes," suggested Shirou from beside her, demonstrating the move and hitting the centre perfectly. Ayako feigned indignance.

"And you said you didn't deserve to be captain! Hmph." She turned her back on him and called, "Alright everyone, pack up! I'll see you next week after school!" As the members of the archery club filed out, Sakura approached him with a smile.

"Hey Shirou, if it's not too much trouble, will you walk home with me?"

"S-sure!"

Although it was late in the afternoon, the sun's rays beat mercilessly on the two students as they walked home. Anyone who walked past would've seen two carefree, playful students light-heartedly discussing the day's events.

'No one would've suspected we were magi,' Shirou thought fleetingly. Life had become peaceful, but oh so boring..

Sakura's voice broke through his hazy mind. "Ano.. Shirou, can I ask you something?"

"Hm? Oh sure, fire away."

"Ye-yes. Well.." Sakura fidgeted, twiddling her thumbs. "What do you think of Prendergast-senpai?"

Caught off guard, Shirou yelped, "Wh-what? Why the sudden question?"

"We-well.." Sakura struggled to make her words diplomatic, but ended up blurting out, "D-do you like her? I mean she's really pretty, and everyone says she's really athletic and smart, just like Ri-I mean nee-san."

"Ehhh? It's not like that at all! She just reminds me of Saber and that's it!"

"So you don't like her?"

"Not in that way, no."

"Oh," Sakura tried to keep the relief out of her voice. "But what do you think of her?"

Shirou pondered this over, not wanting to sound like he was trying hard to conceal his feelings. Eventually he settled on saying "She's really focussed, as club presidents should be, after all. She works very hard and expects others to do the same, I guess. Most might say she's a little too strict, but I reckon anyone can see that she really likes kendo."

'Oh phew, it's all about kendo after all. I was overreacting.' thought Sakura. As though he could sense this, an awkward silence hung over the pair like a miasma, shattered only by the ringing of Shirou's phone.

"Shirou? Hey it's me, Rin."

"Rin? What's wrong?"

"It's Aurora, I sent her off to get groceries but she hasn't come back yet! I even forgot to tell her where the house key was so she could let herself back in. "

"Can't you go find her?"

"I would if I could, pea brain, but as it is I'm stuck at cram school, had to sneak to the bathroom to call you."

"U-uh.." before Shirou could so much as protest ,Rin cut in.

"I told her to call me when she got home so I figured she isn't back yet. I think she's lost!"

"Hey wait a sec, I-" Shirou hadn't even finished his sentence when the frantic girl interrupted once again.

"Please go find her Shirou, or goodness knows what might happen to a girl like her, lost alone at night. If you do, I-I'll bring you lunch tomorrow!"

"Woah what? Oh fine then I'll go look for her."

"Thank you so much! I knew I shouldn't have just put her on the bus there! Bye!" Click.

Shirou groaned in frustration and turned to Sakura.

"Ah, sorry Sakura but Tosaka needs me to do something for her. See you tomorrow yeah! Bye!" and with that Shirou took off sprinting.

It was evening, and the last vestiges of sunlight had long been consumed by the darkness, which covered everything like a cold blanket. Shirou had spent the previous hour or so searching for the kendo club president, to no avail. The longer he searched, the more frantic he became.

"Dammit!" he cursed and bent over, huffing and puffing. "Dammit Aurora where are you?"

As he stood there panting, hands on his knees and sweat pouring down his cheeks, he felt a tug in what he could only describe as his soul. Spent and fatigued, he let his legs take him to the source of the pull. Before he knew it he was on the bridge connecting the two sides of Fuyuki City, staring ahead at a young blond girl standing on the bridge. She looked so mysterious in the light, so.. Noble. Pinching himself on the arm to ensure he wasn't dreaming, Shirou raced towards her, shouting

"Oi buchou*!"

"Shi-Shirou?" she saw him coming and her eyes widened. He grabbed her by the hand and gasped

"So here you were! Tosaka was panicking when you didn't get home. Why didn't you call her?"

"I.." the ground suddenly became very fascinating to her. "I don't really know how to use Japanese phones."

"Agh then you should've asked! You're so stubborn, buchou," he chided but his smile didn't fade.

'His smile is so beautiful,' thought Saber before he pulled on her arm lightly.

"Come on, I'll walk you home."

As the green eyed girl allowed him to lead her home, Shirou took a moment to absorb his surroundings. Now that he'd found her, the night suddenly seemed far less ominous. The sky was now a dark curtain spangled with points of light and the moon a silent sentinel, its silvery gaze bathing everything in a soft luminous glow. He released her hand and they strolled, side by side through the city, both lost in the serenity of their surroundings. As they walked past a park, however, an unusual sight attracted Aurora's attention.

"Hey, Shirou, what's that?"she asked, pointing at a long dark slash in the pavement, devoid of tiles and concrete. It took Shirou a few seconds to recall that it had come from his and Saber's first battle with Gilgamesh, the seemingly invincible Servant of Kotomine Kirei. Images flashed through his head; of Saber protecting him, telling him to run, of Gilgamesh repelling her Noble Phantasm effortlessly and of the two of them using Avalon to reflect Gilgamesh's sword Ea.. He wasn't sure if he knew how to talk about a place at which such monumental events occurred. To speak of it would be to cheapen the experience. And yet..

"Shirou?"

"Uh.. An accident of some sort happened there." said Shirou lamely and Aurora chewed her bottom lip.

'I wonder what he was just thinking. Could it be that seeing that spot reminded him of when we first truly fought by each other's sides.' Trying to alleviate the tension, Saber cleared her throat and said,

"Ah yes, Shirou, are you looking forward to participating in our first tournament in a month's time?"

"Oh, yeah!" he grinned, glad for a change of subject. "I've never been in an actual tournament before, but I did practise kendo with someone last year."

'Me,' she thought sadly. 'He means me.' but fixed a more cheery look on her face, "That's good. Your fighting skills are shabby but with practice and time I think you could become very skilled, Shirou."

"High praise from the ice queen indeed," teased Shirou and the two lightly bickered back and forth until they'd reached Rin's house. When they got there, Rin raced out of the house, hugging both of them tightly.

"Dangit Aurora I was so worried!" she wailed as Aurora mumbled apologies. Facing Shirou, Rin smiled one of her rare sweet smiles.

"Thanks Shirou. See ya at school." she winked and the girls returned to the Tosaka residence. Shirou stood there for a while, smiling slightly.

'Buchou is a good person after all, hm."

A/N: On second thought, I'd like this story to get at least 17 reviews before I update~ Come on guys I know you want to~

*buchou - Japanese term used to address club presidents.


	5. Whetstone

A/N: Alright! Laptop's been fixed and personal issues are being dealt with. Fanfiction is my therapy~ This chapter will cover Shirou's debut match in an actual competition. Enjoy and please review!

The weeks seemed to fly by, with Shirou kept busy well and truly every day owing to archery practice, kendo practice and his usual, handyman jobs for Issei and the school council. Even though it had initially been unimaginable to him, Shirou found himself enjoying kendo practice more and more. He had never fought in a spar against any of the other members but had spent hours in the afternoons either being drilled by Aurora, who never hesitated to correct him in any way, or training in his shed by himself. Slowly but surely, her amendments became fewer, and Shirou knew that he was improving. There was one thing that bothered him however, Rin seemed smugger than usual, as though she knew something he didn't. He decided to pay it no mind however, and it was soon time for Shirou's first kendo tournament.

Shirou glanced around the tournament hall. The ceiling was high and the many windows lining the walls had the hall filled with mild sunlight. Dust motes were swirling in the streams of light, like grains of sand in rushing water and Shirou was mesmirised by the motions of those shining particles. So engrossed was he in their movements that he did not notice the opposing team line up and take a seat on the floor opposite his. Aurora, noticing her teammate's reverie placed a hand on his shoulder and forced him into a seated position.

"It's starting," she hissed. Shirou bit his bottom lip nervously as the announcer called out the names of the first pair to square off.

"The first match, Homurabara Gakuen versus Ishikawa Koko! Contestants Yamada and Miyazaki come forward."

Yamada, the boy who had greeted Shirou on his first visit to the kendo club got up and approached the referee confidently. Shirou had seen him duel several times and was amazed that for such a short individual, his strokes were mighty and opponents who weren't expecting his strength often were pushed backwards several paces. Glancing around at the other members of the kendo club, Shirou grinned. Everyone had been training incredibly hard; it was time to enjoy the fruits of their labour.

"Ready..Begin!" cried the announcer, and the two boys leapt into action, Yamada was clearly much more experienced and powerful, as he swiftly achieved a strike on Miyazaki's shoulder and one on his head. The Homurabara team cheered and whooped before the referee called up the second pair. Ignoring her thrumming heartbeat, Saber shifted over to Shirou's side and whispered "Hey Shirou, you do know how the scoring system works right?"

"Umm.. No."

"Well basically, in kendo, you need to hit your opponent thrice to win. The team with the most victories wins in the end. Got it?"

Shirou nodded. Three strikes would be all he needed. Leaning forward, he gripped his knees tightly. 'Saber, just watch,' he thought. 'I'm going to help this team win this competition, then the tournament. For you.'

The remainder of the matches passed quickly, with the Homurabara team winning all their matches with ease. Shirou hadn't been able to take his eyes of Aurora's match; the grace and precision with which she executed each blow never failed to captivate him. In a daze, he heard his name being called and stepped onto the padded mats. His opponent was a burly, tall boy, determined to win back the honour of his team by emerging the victor in the final match. Saber kept her face emotionless, her faith in her former master unshakeable.

"Shirou has trained extensively. He will win." she told herself. Sure enough, Shirou seemed unfazed by the fact that it was his first real match and in fact was smiling respectfully at his opponent. As the bulky boy charged at him, sword held high, Shirou sidestepped and his sword clanged against his opponent's side. One of the referees standing by raised a flag, indicating that Shirou had scored and the match was allowed to continue.

Growling angrily, his opponent came at him again, his target the side of Shirou's helmet. Shirou ducked, and with a rapid upward thrust, his sword met the protected area just under his opponent's throat. Another flag. Finally, as his adversary attempted a side blow, Shirou seized an opening and thwacked him soundly on the top of his head, winning the match.

"And the winner of the first round of this tournament is Homurabara Gakuen!" at the sound of their victory, Helmets were launched skywards from Shirou's team, as the Ishikawa team skulked away in depression. Shirou didn't even make it halfway to his teammates when they rushed towards him and patted him on the back.

"Congratulations Shirou you really showed them!" crowed Yamada. "You should've seen the look on his face!"

"Amazing!" agreed another member, a tall lanky boy in his year named Kenji agreed wholeheartedly.

"Oh, that was nothing," Shirou grinned sheepishly and dismissed their praise, but he only sought the approval of one. Emerald orbs met chocolate brown and the blonde smiled contentedly. Surrounded by his teammates and receiving unspoken praise from the club president had Shirou feeling like he was on cloud nine.

After their triumph in the first round, Saber began pushing her team harder than ever for the next rounds. Due to his speedy improvement, Saber then began to let Shirou face the other members of the team, against whom he fared quite well. Everybody got along well with Shirou's relaxed, caring nature and Saber soon observed an improvement in the group camaderie. With a half-smile creeping onto her face, she recalled what it had been like when she took over the club. When she had joined, the kendo club was a mess. The members hardly knew how to fight, much less take proper care of their equipment and she was alarmed to find some members swinging around the swords as though they were clubs. Taking charge of the situation, she challenged each and every member to a duel, and upon winning every one she proclaimed herself club president. Homurabara's team was notorious for losing the inter-school kendo tournament every year and Saber was determined to help them win at least one. Under her harsh discipline many members dropped out, leaving a dedicated few that she pushed to their limits. The result of such intense training was a strong, disciplined team that were set on winning the year's tournament whatever it took.

Casting her gaze around the room as the club packed up, Saber overheard some of the members' conversation and smirked.

"Hey Shirou," called Kenji. "Some of us are going to a café after this. Wanna come?"

"Eh?" Shirou was taken aback, as prior to that he had never had anything to do with the others in his club after practice. "No problem. I've got to help buchou clean up though so please wait five minutes ok?"

"Yeah sure! We'll be waiting outside!" replied Kenji as he left. "Bye buchou!"

Shirou straigtened up and sighed. "Ah.. I better get to work then." He began running the tap in the sink, needing water with which to clean the armour but was stopped by Aurora.

"They want you to go out right? Then you should leave first. I'll take care of things just this once."

Shirou blinked, taking in her words. "Really, you shouldn't..!" he protested but she pushed past him and picked up a cloth, dipping it into the water, leaving no room for argument. Shirou hastily muttered his thanks and left, regrouping with his new friends. Chuckling to each other, the group began walking towards the school gates, Yamada and Kenji enthusiastically discussing their plans to have a coffee drinking contest. Enveloped in a sense of belonging and security that came with being part of such a tight-knit group, Shirou was plagued by a niggling feeling in his mind. All of a sudden, he turned on his heel and dashed back towards the shed.

"Shirou, where are you going?" yelled Kenji.

"I'll be back in a minute!" Shirou gasped.

Bursting through the doors of the shed, Saber glanced up at the noise. "Oh Shirou, did you forget something?"

Not bothering with a reply, Shirou grabbed her arm and hauled her up, dragging the astonished club president away from the shed. Catching up to his friends, Shirou flashed a tired grin. "Hey guys, if it's ok with you, can buchou come along?" There was silence for a moment, and Shirou feared they would disagree but Yamada spoke up.

"Why not? Anyway, we have to show buchou how cool Fuyuki City is!" with the matter settled, Saber found herself escorted by her subordinates, touched by Shirou's act of kindness.

'He is the same as before,' she mused, recalling the time when he'd introduced her to Taiga and Sakura for the first time, as he had felt uncomfortable at the thought of keeping her out of sight. Knowing that it was not just to her Saber persona, but to everyone that he showed his compassion, she let a little smile grace her lips.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sounds of whooping and raucous laughter filled the street as the kendo club went their separate ways home, all exhausted from their afternoon celebrations. The boys had indeed had a coffee drinking contest, which turned out to be a mistake as Yamada and Kenji had stumbled, or rather skipped home with their arms around each other's shoulders and identical idiotic grins on their faces. Ah, caffeine. Shirou, Aurora and the others had merely observed, highly entertained as the two boys then proceeded to get them all kicked out of the café by an irritable manager as they had been dancing on the tables as though drunk. Whoever knew that caffeine could work much like alcohol? Shirou repressed a shudder at what the unpredictable duo would get up to once they were legally allowed to drink.

Much time had flown by since the start of the school term and many of Shirou's classmates were stressing over examinations and future plans, they all being third year students. Shirou himself was forced to do more study, with his dream to become an engineer requiring a good entrance examination score. Glancing at the enigmatic girl beside him, Shirou wondered what she had planned for her future.

"Um, buchou," he broke the silence nervously. "Stressed about the exams?"

She raised an eyebrow at him and he inwardly facepalmed. Somehow he couldn't imagine stoic, calm Aurora panicking over exams. The image just did not sit right with him. As he berated himself mentally, Aurora began to snicker. It was then Shirou's turn to arch a brow.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"You were thinking that I probably don't stress over things like exams right?" she answered. "Surprising though it may seem, I do feel somewhat worried, but with some study I think I will get through this."

"Yeah.." Shirou looked sheepish. "You're just so.. Unflappable."

Saber didn't know what came over her, perhaps it was the earlier excitement, or Rin's advice had finally paid off, but she (flirtatiously) replied "Are you implying that I am rigid and boring?"

"Eh? N-no, that's not what I meant." Shirou was slightly flustered.

"Oh?" she playfully replied. "Then what?"

Somewhere, in the back of Shirou's mind, as they flirted and playfully argued all the way to Rin's house, he felt uncomfortable, as though he was committing a dire act of betrayal. Pushing it further into the recesses of his consciousness, he decided to deal with it later and focus on enjoying the new side he was seeing of his club president.


	6. So it begins

A/N: Ah sorry everyone I've been so busy I forgot to update. Thanks for sticking with this story and all reviews are appreciated. This chapter is the beginning of what I plan to be the major story arc so yeah.

To Shirou, life had become a blur of studying, kendo practice and helping out around the school. As he couldn't cope with Aurora's bossiness and demanding attitude, Shirou had been forced to stop visiting the archery clube. To say that he did so easily would have been miles from the truth.

* * *

><p>"WHAT!" hissed Ayako. "We've been training so hard for our competitions and now you're telling me we're going to lose our advisor?"<p>

"I'm so sorry Ayako," said Shirou. "But I really am too busy."

"Yeah right!" snorted Ayako. "Busy flirting with the transfer chick! How can you say you're too busy, huh? Aren't you still in the kendo club?"

"Well yes but they only have eight members, including me. They need me more than you do, Ayako."

"I won't accept it!" Ayako was glaring daggers at him. "I have to win the tournament this year Shirou, it's our last year!"

Attracted by the commotion, Sakura peered around a corner to listen in to the argument.

* * *

><p>It had been…challenging, but Shirou did not regret his decision to leave, as being in the archery club would occasionally remind him of his jaded, cynical future self EMIYA whom he had met during the Grail War. What had been really hard to deal with was Sakura's disappointment.<p>

"Shirou-kun," Sakura approached him after he left the kendo club. "Can I walk home with you?"

"Oh? Sure, if Ayako doesn't mind.." Shirou sighed at the memory of Ayako storming off in a huff. Oh how exam stress made monsters out of people..

"She'll be shooting targets inside all afternoon," smiled Sakura. "Don't worry Shirou I don't think you did the wrong thing."

"Haha really? Ayako doesn't seem to think so."

"W-well.." she stuttered. "It really is up to senpai what club he wants to be in."

Knowing he'd regret it, Shirou inquired "But how do you feel about me leaving, Sakura?"

Sakura froze, and an unusual expression settled on her face. "Um.. I do wish that senpai could stay, but senpai has exams and all, so it's understandable."

Shirou shuffled uncomfortably. "Yeah.. Sorry Sakura."

The two strolled along the peaceful suburban avenues without saying a word. Sakura appeared perfectly collected on the outside, but on the inside, she was a mess of anxiety and curiosity rolled into one unusual emotion. Biting her lip and bracing herself for the outcome, Sakura asked

"Um, senpai isn't in the club just for Prendergast-senpai right?"

"Wha-wha!" Shirou stumbled. "No way! That was just Ayako saying stupid things. Don't worry Sakura."

"Oh, yes.."

Even as Shirou tried to talk and joke with Sakura as he had always done before, he had the distinct feeling that what he had told her was a lie: he did not just attend kendo practice out of interest but for the sight of soft golden hair, a stern mouth and fierce green eyes.

* * *

><p>The humdrum of people muttering under their breaths so as to not attract the attention of the teacher filled Shirou's ears. To Shirou, however, all the meaningless chatter faded away when Aurora took her seat in front of him. She had her hair in a bun that day, and Shirou bit his lip to avoid the memories of his loyal Servant from overwhelming his subconscious. She shook her head to deter a troublesome fly buzzing around her head and Shirou was temporarily reminded of how Saber would stalwartly do so whenever she disagreed with him.<p>

"Knock it off." He told himself. She's not Saber. The voice lying unbidden within his mind attempted to retort but was stopped by the arrival of Taiga.

"Morning everyone!" she cried, rushing into the classroom. "Sorry I'm late!"

Shirou smirked and the rest of the class sighed in resignation. Same as always…

* * *

><p>"..And so I will be handing out notes for your excursion." With that, every student in the room sat bolt upright, Taiga's words commanding their undivided attention. Saber's brows knitted together.<p>

'Excursion?' she thought. 'What's that?'

Taiga grinned. "You guys are seniors after all. So us teachers have decided to give you all a treat." She paused, reveling in every moment she was the centre of attention.

"You're going to Kyoto!"

* * *

><p>Rin strode up and down the length of her bedroom, reading off a long list of items while Saki packed her bags. Saber sat awkwardly on her friend's bed, interested in what kinds of stuff should be brought on an "excursion".<p>

"...My slippers, my yukata, my red cardigan, my tea set, a box of black tea bags, chai tea bags, triangular tea bags.." Rin paused and glanced upwards. "That's all I think." Saber, amused looked at Saki and said

"Um Rin, perhaps you've packed too many of your belongings."

"Nonsense!" cried Rin but immediately changed her mind when she saw her poor butler struggling to fit everything in her luggage, even resorting to sitting on her bags so he could zip them up. They both sweatdropped at the sight and Rin shooed her butler out so she could enlarge the bag's storage space with magic. Flopping down on her bed with a relaxed sigh, Rin beckoned for Saber to move closer, which she obeyed. Leveling with the former king, Rin sat back up and grinned wickedly. Saber sweatdropped at that look – it normally meant trouble.

"Listen up." Rin commanded. "This trip is an opportunity to get closer to Shirou. Thus it will require planning and strategy."

Saber sweatdropped. "You make it sound so much like a war council."

Rin frowned "But I'm sure by now you've realized that romance is a battle in itself. I mean look at Sakura!"

Saber was silent. After Shirou had told Ayako that he would not be rejoining the archery club and had become increasingly popular in the kendo club, Sakura had been going out of her way to spend time with Shirou, walking with him to and from school, talking to him and even asking him to tutor her in several subjects. Taking Saber's silence as agreement, Rin nodded sagely.

"See? But she is not going to Kyoto. You are. Therefore you need to capitalize on this. Find every excuse to spend time with him and act..like yourself."

"Right." Saber agreed. Slightly embarrassed but curious, she spoke up. "Rin why are you so intent on helping me? You don't have to do anything."

Rin cast her gaze downwards. Although she would never admit it, she had been secretly jealous of Shirou and Saber's relationship, whether it was because she herself had never been in a relationship or she had had feelings for Shirou was unclear even to her. Realising her silence was unnerving Saber, she replied with a shrug to disguise her confusion

"Living vicariously through you two, I suppose. Also it isn't every day that a legendary warrior reincarnates into my time and tries to seek romance with a friend."

Content with the answer, Saber leaned back onto Rin's pillows and watched a couple of birds on a tree outside. Eager to break the awkward silence, Rin pulled herself up and smiled.

"Want me to help you pack?"

Saber vowed she would never forget the afternoons she spent with the blue eyed girl.

* * *

><p>Lining up to board the bus, Shirou turned around when he heard Sakura call his name.<p>

"Shirou-kun!" she cried, running up alongside him. Stopping to catch her breath, she smiled sweetly at the older boy. "Enjoy your trip!"

Shirou laughed. "Thanks Sakura. Sorry you'll have to walk to school alone for a few days. See ya!" with that, Shirou climbed the stairs onto the bus and began looking for a seat. Unfortunately for Shirou, whilst he had been chatting with Sakura, his classmates had occupied many of the seats and he saw Issei sitting with another guy. Sighing in resignation, Shirou sat in an unoccupied aisle seat and jumped when he heard a voice beside him.

"Looking forward to this trip, Shirou?"

"Yah!" he yelped and realized the voice had come from Aurora, who was sitting next to the window. "S-sorry I didn't notice you there." He apologized, hoping she couldn't hear his drum-like heartbeat.

"It's fine." She answered, a cool calm mask hiding a blush. The bus pulled out of the school and set out, and the students yelled and whooped with delight.

"We're going to Kyoto!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Saber reclined in her seat, resplendent as the king she had once been. With nothing but the rumble of the bus wheels over gravel to entertain her, the past half hour had been incredibly boring. She and Shirou were sitting on the edges of their seats, as far away from each other as was possible. From time to time the pair would steal glances at each other and then bashfully look away. Due to both their shyness, neither of them were willing to make the first move and the implications rapidly spreading through their class that they were a couple did little to quell their anxiousness. Finally, able to withstand the tangible tension any longer, Shirou spoke to her.

"Um hey buchou." He said. "Excited about Kyoto?"

"Eh?" Saber took a moment to realize he was talking to her. "Y-yes. It seems as though we will have an enjoyable experience."

Chuckling lightly, Shirou said "There's no need to be so formal, buchou."

Saber blushed and looked at her hands crossed in her lap. As she had assumed the mantle of the king, her manners needed to be nothing short of perfect, and an austere façade was also required so her people would take her seriously. Mustering all the courage in her small frame Saber replied, "Oh um..yeah. Therefore there is no need to call me buchou outside practice, Shirou."

Shirou tried to hold back his laughter and said, "You know, you're Japanese is really good but there's a lot you don't know in terms of culture."

Saber felt a flicker of annoyance. "Are you calling me uncultured?" she demanded to know.

Shirou grinned. "Depends how you wanna take it bu-I mean Aurora."

"You really shouldn't give people the wrong impression." patronized Saber, looking away so he couldn't see her blush.

'What am I doing?' she thought furiously. 'I'm behaving like some lovesick girl.' but she listened to Shirou as he laughed. "I didn't mean to offend you but if you like I could teach you some useful cultural phrases. Would you like that?"

Saber was about to decline out of embarrassment but remembered Rin's advice about the trip being an opportunity.

"I'd would, very much."

A/N: Well now you've read it, please review! If I could get forty or so I'll post the next chapter cuz I've already got it on my computer. Yes, I'm evil mwhaha now review~


	7. Golden Pavillion

A/N: Ahh you guys~ almost 40 reviews.. Oh well thanks to Huskies 101 who sent me a message asking for this chapter I decided to post this. Reviews make my day, they really do. I have trial finals for the next few weeks T_T so I probably won't be updating for awhile. I hope this will be enough to whet your appetite for what is to come.

* * *

><p>The students filed wearily out of the bus towards the inn they would be staying at, some rubbing their eyes sleepily and telling their friends how grateful they would be for a bath and bed. Saber followed them, looking around her at the city bathed in night. While she was doing so, Shirou crept up behind her unnoticed and initiated a conversation.<p>

"Nice isn't it Aurora? The inn I mean. Too bad we might not be meeting up with Tosaka's class for a while eh."

Saber's eyes travelled the length and breadth of the inn, taking in the cherry blossom trees in the yard, the bonsai trees and rock garden and the traditional Japanese paper sliding doors. In the light it would have been very tranquil and elegant, the epitome of Japanese traditional accommodation. Not wanting to tarnish her aloof, serious reputation, she settled on saying, "It looks good enough."

Shirou chuckled again and Saber raised a brow. Were the things she'd said really that funny? Shirou said, "Oh, it's nothing Aurora but you just..sound so much like Tosaka now."

Saber was going to reply sardonically to that comment but stopped when she realized they were already inside. The inside of the inn was every bit as elegantly traditional as the exterior and many of the students had shaken off their drowsiness and looked eager to explore their temporary quarters. Taiga raised her voice and addressed the students

"Everyone, we'll be staying in here along with the people in 2A. Girls on this side of the inn, boys on that side."

Suppressing a yawn and not wanting to keep the students from their much-needed rest any longer, she dismissed them. Saber said goodbye to Shirou and they went their separate ways, receiving their room numbers from the teachers. As she opened her door, Saber's green eyes met with a pair of cyan crystals and their reactions happened simultaneously.

"Eh!"

* * *

><p>Rin and Saber spread their bedspreads side by side, ignoring the other girls in their room as they bustled in and out, fussing over having a bath and combing their hair. Saber was relieved; at least she would have a friend to talk to in her room.<p>

"Hey Sa-Aurora." Rin checked herself. "We've got a couple of days free sightseeing. What are you gonna do?"

"Nothing I guess. Just stay in my room," replied Saber.

"Haaah." Rin crawled under the covers. "That's boring. I won't let you stay here alone, you're coming with me."

"Ah, but.." Saber's voice trailed off as Rin butted in

"Who knows what could happen! We're on excursion in a great city and we're allowed to go anywhere we like for a few days! Anyway, how are you supposed to pull off our objective?"

Saber sweatdropped. "Well that is.."

"See my point?" interjected the brunette. "Thus we must go out, enjoy ourselves and see if we can 'accidentally' end up with Shirou for the day."

Saber hushed her friend by throwing a pillow at her face. Rin ducked and smirked at the rosy spots of colour that was spreading on her cheeks. "Goodnight." She said.

Saber tucked herself in. "Goodnight Rin."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Shirou yawned as he padded around the carpeted floors of the inn. The sun was just rising and only the earliest-rising birds had started their songs. Glancing around furtively to ensure no one was around, Shirou tiptoed to the verandah and sat on it, looking outwards at the garden. A cool breeze wafted across his face and Shirou smiled. Wistfully he thought 'Saber would like this'. Lost in thought, he didn't realize when Aurora opened the sliding doors and walked up to him. Only the sound of her voice brought his senses back to reality.

"Shirou."

"What? Oh hi Aurora." Smiled Shirou, turning to face her. "Up early I see."

"Yes. I felt like some fresh air too."

"Well then, um.." Shirou gestured vainly, awkwardly. "Wanna sit here with me?"

Her eyes widened but her tone was even as she said, "Of course." And took her place next to him.

The two of them sat in silence, listening to the birdsong and enjoying the warmth of the sunlight.

"Shirou," Saber was the first to speak. "This is a personal question but.."

"Hm?"

"Uhm.." Saber pursed her lips. "Have you an object for your affections?"

Disbelief, and something she couldn't quite pinpoint flickered across Shirou's face and he said, "Well, yeah. But she isn't here anymore."

Saber pretended to be curious. "Who is this person?" she asked, her heartbeat going like the wings of a hummingbird.

"Ah.." Under normal circumstances, Shirou wouldn't have been sure how to describe Saber, and what they'd shared to outsiders, but for some reason, he found himself blurting out, "She was a really special girl, kind of strange and a bit antisocial but definitely a good person."

Saber twitched inwardly. 'Kind of strange and a bit antisocial..?'

"Ahh.."Shirou paused to scratch his head. "That really isn't a good description of her. "In reality, she was someone whom I didn't spend much time with but when we were together, it.. felt really good."

"What happened to her?" Shirou froze when he heard the question.

"She.. had to go back to.. people who needed her. It would've been unfair to make her stay."

"Oh, I see.."

Both said no more after that, each lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, Aurora rose and departed, and Shirou watched her go. As the sound of her footsteps faded out of earshot, a thought occurred to Shirou.

'This is the first time I've been able to share something about Saber with another person. Could I be that I'm.. starting to forget her?'

But he brushed away that thought. It scared him more than he'd admit.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The first place on the day's itinerary was Kinkakuji. Shirou sat awkwardly next to Aurora, trying not to let her see how unnerved he was by her presence. Unable to take the quiet, Aurora asked him

"Shirou, why is it that you sit beside me? Do you not have other friends?"

"Eh.." Shirou gulped. He didn't want her to know he was sitting with her because she had no friends in their class and settled on answering, "Well I thought I should stick around and keep you company, after all, I once hosted a foreign exchange student."

"Was she the one you held feelings for?" Shirou inwardly facepalmed. How the heck did women find out everything?

"In a sense, yeah."

Aurora didn't have a chance to reply as the bus pulled up along the entrance to the shrine, which Shirou was glad for. Dang women and their ability to seemingly read minds. The students of class 2C flocked to the ticket booth, with Taiga running after them and flapping her arms like a mother hen. Shirou snickered behind his hand at how childish his guardian could be and noticed the Saber lookalike staring at her surroundings with wonder.

"Nice isn't it," smiled Shirou. "I like this time of year."

"Indeed," she replied half-heartedly, still entranced by the beauty of the shrine's gardens. It was autumn, and the maple trees were crowned with crimson and orange, stark against the cloudless sky. A carpet of lush grass, green as her eyes covered the ground they walked on and she could hear the sound of running water. It sounded like a veritable Garden of Eden.

"Haha. And you haven't even seen the actual shrine yet," Shirou grinned. Seeing his companion only blink in response, he grabbed her hand, eliciting a blush from her and tugged lightly.

"Don't just stand there! Come inside with me!"

Aurora smiled, the same way Saber did, with a sweetness and innocence that made his heart do backflips and complied. The two of them strolled idly along the paved walkways, ignoring the other students who had gotten into pairs and were enjoying light-hearted raillery, intoxicated by the natural splendor around them. Words weren't needed for the two of them though, despite both their refusal to admit such, it felt as though two parts of a whole had come together. Yes, that clichéd kind of feeling in the movies that has the audience screaming for a confession from one or both of them. That feeling.

Saber walked beside Shirou, admiring her surroundings. It took all her training as a knight not to be grinning like an idiot at the joy swelling in her chest. To be in such a place with the man she loved, it was truly as the bards of old England had sung. For years Saber had been entertained by these minstrels, singing ballads of ladies who'd walk in rose-scented gardens with their sweethearts and be whisked away to a life of comfort and luxury. In her heart she'd scoffed at it then – what was the meaning in that? But now she was being forced to eat her words, it truly was as good as the songs had made it sound.

"Hey Aurora, we're here!" Shirou called to the green eyed beauty. Saber blinked once, twice, then it dawned on her that she was standing in front of the shrine. The tall, elegant building, shining like a huge golden beacon in the morning sun was Kinkakuji Shrine. Enveloped by the still, green waters of a shallow pond, and flanked by maple trees resplendent in their autumn cloaks, Saber was left awestruck at the sight. Shirou bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning manically; she looked like a child, eyes wide in wonder.

"Yeah. Pretty isn't it?" said Shirou.

Finding her voice, Aurora said "Yes, it is so.."

Shirou tugged her hand again. "You haven't seen the rest of Kyoto yet. You'll enjoy it, I promise. Now let's go."

Tearing her eyes away from the unforgettable sight, Saber caught Shirou, as well as many of her classmates taking pictures of the gleaming golden pavilion, although she felt that such magnificence could never truly be captured by mere technology. No. Nothing beat seeing the thing in person.

A brief stroll through the remainder of the shrine gardens later, Shirou and Saber came upon a couple of stalls set up along the footpath. The first was filled with Japanese charms of all purposes, from granting academic success to recovering from illness and avoiding car accidents. Shirou observed Aurora as she picked them up one by one and scrutinized them almost suspiciously. Amused, he scanned the array of charms and selected two, buying them from the shopkeeper. Aurora looked at him questioningly.

"Why are you buying those, Shirou?"

"Oh these?" Shirou indicated the little tags. "They're part of Japanese culture. We buy these charms from shrines in the hope that we'll be blessed and all that. You should buy one too, Aurora!"

"But I really don't.." Saber cut in across her saying

"Come on Aurora! This is a chance to be more acquainted with Japanese culture!" Seeing her open her mouth to protest, Shirou added, "If you don't get one I'll buy one for you."

"Ah Shirou that is unfair," grumbled Aurora, but she took out her purse and selected a charm. Once she'd paid for it, she turned to Shirou, only to see him holding two sticks of dango, one in each hand.

"Dango?" he offered, holding a stick out to her. Seeing the glutinous balls on a stick, she looked a little unsure of herself.

"That looks a little.." she didn't get time to finish, because Shirou swiftly reached over and slapped the stick into her hand.

"Come on, try it!" he urged. "It's really good!"

Tentatively, she opened her dainty mouth and bit down on one of the sweet spheres. Shirou smirked as she took another bite, then another.

'I could get used to this,' she thought as Shirou's laughter rang in her ears.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day was spent seeing several other small shrines in the area. Taiga attempted to tell the students about the history and story of each shrine but failed in the attempt as the third years' attention was clearly elsewhere. Instead of wasting her voice bellowing at them, she relented and let them just gleefully explore the shrines while she watched over them with an expression akin to that of a mother hen with her chicks. Said 'chicks' were so active they wore themselves out and many of them arrived back at the inn to crash in their rooms. Saber shook her head at her classmates' antics and headed for the outdoor hot springs. Stripping off her outer garments and shedding her underwear, she strode unabashed into the female section of the springs oblivious to the stares of the few other girls there who had bashfully wrapped towels around themselves. Sliding gracefully into the water, Saber felt someone sidling up closer to her. Alarmed, she jerked backwards but calmed down once she saw who it was.<p>

"Oh Rin, it's just you."

"Of course," Rin shook out her mane of raven hair. "Had fun with Shirou today?"

"I..do not know what you are talking about." Said Saber hurriedly. Rin smirked.

"Really? My guess is, our very own hero-of-justice Shirou felt sorry for you because you were alone and decided to keep you company. Am I right?"

Saber sank into the water, leaving only her eyes visible on the surface.

Rin's smirk broadened. "I'll take that as a yes, then. Don't worry, I won't get in your way."

"It..it wasn't really like that!"gasped Saber, flushed. "We just spent time in each other's company as friends, that is all."

"Mhm." Rin expressed her obvious disbelief. "So tell me, how much flirting did you get done?"

Saber was then interrogated for the better part of an hour before Rin was fully satisfied.

* * *

><p>"Hey Shirou," Issei tried to get his attention. "Shirou! SHIROU!"<p>

"H-huh?" Shirou looked as if he'd just come out of a stupor.

"I know what you were thinking!" Issei leapt back and dramatically pointed a finger at Shirou. "You were imagining the girls in various stages of immodesty! That is understandable, seeing as this wooden wall is all that stands between us and them but how could youuuuuu?" anime tears were streaming down his cheeks. "You are supposed to keep yourself chaste! Women will only lead you down the path of corruption!"

Shirou sweatdropped. "Issei, you got it all wrong. I was only spacing out.."

Issei immediately regained his composure. "Oh, ahem excuse me then. So what were you doing today? You weren't with us."

"Well I was with Aurora." Shirou said, in a very matter-of-fact kind of way.

Issei didn't bat an eyelid, which astonished Shirou as he had been expecting an angry tirade of some sort from the notorious misogynist. "Oh I see, she's alright, I suppose." said Issei. Shirou blinked.

"I thought you didn't like girls?"

"I don't, but.." Issei paused, at a loss for what to say. "She's got a kind of calming aura."

"Yeah.." muttered Shirou, leaning backwards onto the edge of the spring.

"She really does."

"Kinda like that girl that stayed at your house eh, Shirou?"

"…"

Shirou felt like kicking himself.

A/N: So how was it? Leave your thoughts in a review if you please~ I'll be kinder this time, how does 45 reviews sound? Good? Thought so. Have fun and see you guys soon! Back to studying noooo...


	8. From up here

Chapter 8

AN:Sorry for the wait people! Had exams... Maths was surprisingly good but in history, I mixed up Nicholas I and Alexander I so yeah.. Oh well, I got chapter 9 waiting, so do review!

Saber shuffled from foot to foot. The nights before had been spent with Rin, who'd decided to celebrate her "making a move on Shirou" by opening a packet of Kyoto candy every night and eating them together on the verandah. Washed down with a generous helping of premium quality English tea, of course. 'Where does she keep getting those things?' pondered Saber. She was so engrossed in reminiscence that she didn't notice Shirou come up beside her and start talking.

"Hey Aurora! Nice day isn't it?"

"Oh yes.." she began but paused, contemplating her next words. "Umm we have a free day today and tomorrow don't we? What are you planning to do?"

"Um, well.." Shirou scratched the back of his head in a familiar gesture. "Issei has ditched me today so I thought I'd come hang out with you."

"I..am glad that you enjoy my company as such," replied Saber with decorum befitting her noble heritage. Before either of them could say any more, however, Rin appeared, as if out of nowhere and surprised them both. She stepped back, arms folded across her chest and said

"Well, if it isn't Shirou. Tell me Shirou, were you planning on stealing my friend Aurora here from right under my nose?"

"What?" Shirou was flabbergasted. "That wasn't what I was trying to do!"

"Oh?" Rin leaned into him, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "So you were asking her on a date, then?"

"Tosaka!" chided Shirou. "What on earth goes through your mind?"

Before their conversation could escalate, Saber decided to make an attempt at restoring order. "He was suggesting that we travel together today," she said hurriedly.

Rin and Shirou turned to her. "Oh? A day trip together? I like it. Well then, just to be sure that you don't try to take advantage of Aurora here, I'm coming with you." announced the former Master.

"Tosaka! What kind of person do you take me for?" asked Shirou, annoyed. "I'd never do that to her!"

Rin shot him a glare that sent shivers up and down his spine.

"I apologise regarding Rin," sighed Aurora, as she, Shirou and Rin walked the streets of Kyoto, with Rin leading the way and perusing a map.

"Oh, it's okay. I'm used to it," replied Shirou. "Tosaka has always been bossy."

"What was that, Shirou?" Rin turned around, flashing a sickeningly sweet smile at Shirou, a dangerous sign.

"N-nothing, Tosaka!" Shirou backpedaled. The former rivals squabbled back and forth, making Aurora nervous. Stopping to look ahead, she called to her friends

"Hey guys, we're here!"

"Woah!" Shirou's face lit up at the sight of the enormous arcade. "This thing must have at least a hundred game machines!"

Seeing her friend looking bewildered, Rin chastised him. "Ugh, Shirou, you're terrible. I wanted to give her a cultural experience and you had to take her to a games arcade?"

"Relax, Tosaka," Shirou reassured her. "This is fun too."

"Grr.." Rin fumed silently but followed Shirou and Aurora into the arcade. The second she stepped inside, she was bombarded with a hundred different sounds – the bleeping and blooping of the various machines, the buzzing of claw games, the curses of pimply, bespectacled otakus who had gotten a game over screen and the excited shrills of kids as they competed.

"Shirou!" Rin made another bid to scold him. "This is supposed to be fun?"

"Well yeah.." Shirou chuckled. "Come on Tosaka, tell me you've been to an arcade before."

"Never." Rin harrumphed.

"Not even played video games?"

"Of course not!"

Shirou grinned. "There's a first for everything Tosaka."

Rin scowled at him but allowed him to take her and Aurora through the arcade, explaining to them the different games available.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Aww man, almost had it!" Shirou threw up both hands in frustration as the claw released the plushie it had been carrying.

"…" Saber replied, too engrossed in the game she was playing.

"Wow, Aurora," Shirou peered over her shoulder. "Never knew you were one for zombie shooters."

Saber hesitated, and her avatar was ripped apart in a shower of digital gore. The words "GAME OVER" appeared on the screen in big bold letters and she was asked to enter her initials.

"Whoops. Sorry for distracting you." Shirou apologised.

"Oh, it's fine," she smiled. "I was going to lose anyway, I'm on level twenty-five after all."

"Ahaha yeah. Shall we go check on Tosaka?"

Shirou and Saber wandered round the arcade until they found the magical prodigy glaring suspiciously at a machine. "Tekken" was scrawled along the sides in graffiti-style text and it looked as if she was deliberating whether or not to play.

"Tosaka! I challenge you to a game on this!" said Shirou suddenly. Rin raised an eyebrow.

"Wanting to show off to our little gaijin friend, are we?"

"Just saying that cause you know you'll lose, Tosaka?" Shirou jeered.

"Hah!" Rin tossed her glossy black mane. "In your dreams, Emiya Shirou. Let's do this."

Shirou and Rin sat behind the two separate sets of controls, each determined to win. Shirou smirked. He'd played more than his fair share of brawl games with Issei and was confident of his success. He selected his character and Rin chose hers. They squared off, both with their fingers on the joysticks, awaiting the "Begin!" sign that appeared on the screen. As soon as it did, the fight began in all earnest.

Five minutes later..

"…!" Shirou's eye twitched as "You lose!" flashed in front of his face. Rin leaned back, arms folded and a cat-ate-the canary look on her face.

"Well Shirou, look who's the winner now," she said. "Not so cocky now huh?"

"T-Tosaka! H-how did you..?"Shirou's mouth opened and closed like a fish. "You said you never played!"

"Hm." Rin said, picking bits of grit out from under her fingernails. "Did it ever occur to you that I might have better reflexes?"

Looking at his stunned expression, Rin chuckled and turned to Saber.

"You better train him hard Aurora." she winked. "Or maybe I should join the kendo club instead!"

"T-Tosaka! Not fair!" complained Shirou as the girls laughed at him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After a good few hours of gaming, Rin had practically dragged her friends out of the arcade, citing them blowing all their cash in one day as the reason. Before they stepped out of the large glass sliding doors, Saber had spotted a print club (purikura) machine and had inquired as to what it was. Eager to find any reason to make fun of Shirou, Rin had 'suggested' they take photos together.

"After all," she flashed her sweet, girly smile, "I'm sure Aurora has never done one before."

Taking her cue from Rin, Saber added, "I have never seen such a machine in England. Perhaps it will be interesting."

Their plan worked. Shirou had grumbled about Rin forcing him to do things he didn't want to do but had sidled up to the girls and taken pictures. Rin had given them all their own copies afterwards and Shirou's favourite (though he'd never admit it to Rin) was the one where he had his arm around Aurora, who was blushing. He slipped it into his pocket, as he did, an image came to mind, one of Saber, pressed against his chest in the moonlight, her lips slightly swollen from their kiss and her eyes glazed with passion. A stab of pain shot through his heart and Shirou found himself once again frustrated and confused.

'What the hell?' he thought. 'What am I doing? I love Saber, don't I?'

The voice that had long plagued him sprung into action. "Ah," it said. "You fear falling in love again? Or is it that you feel you would be insulting her memory if you did so?"

"I.. Don't know.." sighed Shirou.

"Come on, think!" the voice taunted. "Is it one of these ,or both?"

"..." Shirou could not come up with a reply. Thankfully, Rin saved him from this uncomfortable conversation with himself by yanking his arm.

"Oi, Shirou, this is our stop, remember?"

"Y-yeah.." Shirou followed her off the bus, to be assailed by the many sights and sounds of the front of Kyoto station. The station was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. Black glass reflected the mustard-coloured afternoon sun, stretching to at least five stories and commuters and shoppers alike thronged the many shops lining each floor.

"Cool," Shirou muttered. "So are we stopping here?"

"No." Rin replied, pulling him away, "This is what I had planned." With that, she pointed at Kyoto tower, a graceful spire rising above the hubbub of central Kyoto. Shirou arched his eyebrow.

"What about it?"

"We're going to go to the top, of course!" Rin spoke to him as she would a dimwitted child. "To show Aurora the view!"

"…" Shirou temporarily pitied the club president - being hauled around to sightsee, both at home and in Kyoto must be tiring.

"Rin, I don't think your suitcase can.." Saber's voice was cut off as Rin thrust another box into her already overflowing arms.

"Yes.." said Rin absent-mindedly. "Green tea chocolates, white teabags, peach tea, plum candy, a new tea set.."

Shirou gasped, "Tosaka, enough already! We haven't even taken Aurora up the tower yet!"

Rin was going to glare at him, but stopped when she realised that Shirou and Saber's arms were heavily laden with her shopping. They had planned to show Saber the view from the tower, but Rin had been sidetracked by the (many) shops that made a living by selling goods to patrons of the tower. Hence, the trio had spent nearly an hour on shopping. And Rin had only been buying food.

"Hmph,"she said dismissively. "That's enough for now, I guess. Come on guys." She spun on her heel and led them towards the elevator, as Shirou desperately tried to squeeze her numerous purchases into a canvas bag. Seeing his distress, Rin pulled a jewel out of her pocket, winked at Shirou and used it to invisibly increase the bag's storage capacity.

"Tosaka!" Shirou hissed. "What if she saw you?"

Rin shrugged, nonplussed. The doors opened with a ping and they strode out. Saber glanced around, seeing nothing but glass at every turn.

"What is this?" she inquired nervously.

"Use these things. You'll see." Rin gestured for her to make her way to one of the many pairs of binoculars lining the circumference of the tower. She sweatdropped, however when Saber tried to tug them off their stands instead and nearly succeeded in doing so.

"Uh no," said Rin, as she heard the metal groaning in protest. "You're supposed to just stand on one of these stools and look through them."

"Oh," said Saber, beet red with embarrassment. Behind her, Shirou sweatdropped.' Just how strong is that girl?' he thought.

"Hey, Shirou," Rin beckoned for him to come over. "I'll be going to take some photos for the school newspaper so make sure Aurora doesn't get in any trouble okay? Later." With that she strolled off, hiding a snicker behind her hand.

"This is ridiculous," complained Saber. "It doesn't work. I can't see anything clearly!" Shirou came up from behind her and took a look.

"Ah, Aurora, you're supposed to turn the knobs on the side this way, so everything will become clearer." He placed a hand over hers, eliciting a surprised gasp and helped her turn the knobs such that the view became much more vivid.

"Oh, wow.." Saber whispered as she peered through the lens, to be presented with a panoramic view of a section of Kyoto. Twisting the knobs, she zoomed in and was able to see the cars and people, small as bugs from such an altitude, going about their day.

"See? Every pair of binoculars shows you part of Kyoto! Let's go see all of them!" Shirou chuckled and led her to the adjacent pair.

Taking in turns to enjoy the views, Saber and Shirou traversed the perimeters of the tower, unaware that Rin was watching them with an arrogant smirk. She caught Saber's eye and winked. Saber realised that Rin was signalling her to make a move on Shirou and promptly said,

"Oh, Shirou, what is that building in the distance?"

"Oh that?" Shirou asked, pointing at a large temple near the hills, fringed with maple trees. "That's Kiyomizudera. It's the most famous shrine in Kyoto, I think. Do you like it?"

"It seems full of heritage," an imaginary set of cogs in Saber's head were whirring. "And I would like to go there, but I might become lost again."

"You do?" Shirou felt slightly flustered saying it, but did so anyway. "Well, um, if I won't get in your way, maybe I could take you there?"

"You would?" Saber turned to him, bathed in the glow of a dying sun.

"If you don't want me to then.."

"N-no! It's very kind of you to be my guide, Shirou."

Shirou resisted the urge to falter under her earnest gaze. "No problem. I mean, what are friends for?"

"Thank you.." Saber and Shirou stood still for a moment, basking in the indescribable feelings welling up in their chests. The moment was ruined, or at least interrupted, when Rin stepped out from her hiding place and said,

"If you two aren't too busy, we should be going back now."

"R-right.." Saber muttered a hurried excuse and slipped past Shirou, trotting over to where Rin was. Shirou walked a few paces behind the girls, trying to quash the guilt he felt whenever these sorts of things happened.

AN: So that was it.. Anticlimatic, maybe but there will be more~ The next chapter IMO is a tad confusing but let's just say it'll have a very interesting plot development. If you wanna see it, let's say 60 reviews~?


	9. Stage king

A/N: Sorry for the delay! I got O-levels in a couple of weeks so yeah gotta study.. Well no matter how hard I tried, this chapter might be a little tough to follow ugh.. There's still a few chapters left to this so stick around but I don't think I might even make it to chapter fifteen. Eh whatever, sit back, get your chocolate out and enjoy~

Disclaimer: I don't own Fate/ Stay Night, if I did I'd quit school.

* * *

><p>The next day, Shirou met with Rin and her roommate in the inn lobby.<p>

"Since you proved to me yesterday that you wouldn't take advantage of this innocent gaijin here, I think I'll let you guys alone for today. Shirou, I'm entrusting her to you." she announced. Saber's eyes widened and she turned to Rin with a plea in her vibrant emerald eyes. Rin pretended she hadn't seen and walked away with a lazy wave. "Have fun, you two."

"Ahahaha, that's Tosaka for you," laughed Shirou.

"I'm sorry she's so.. commanding." sighed Saber.

"No worries. Y'know buchou, I got some cool stuff planned for us today.."

Saber trailed behind Shirou, enjoying his company.

* * *

><p>"Where are we?" Saber asked, as she followed Shirou into a bustling street, lined with traditional buildings and souvenir shops. This didn't look anything like the hilly landscape around the temple she wanted to visit..<p>

"Edo-Tokyo!" replied Shirou. "It used to be the capital of Japan, now that the capital is Tokyo, it's become quite the tourist attraction."

"I thought you said we were going to visit a temple?" Saber looked confused. Why on earth had he brought her there?

"We will, but later." Shirou said. "There's a really fun place I want to bring you first."

Saber sweatdropped. She wasn't quite sure if Shirou's definition of 'fun' was the same as hers. Then again, she had been accredited in her past life as being emotionless and cold..

"And here we are!" Shirou proudly pointed to a gateway that read "Toei Uzumasa Eiga Mura" in large gold lettering. Saber bit back a sigh. Movie village? She had never truly mastered the use of a television or understood how they worked. Once she had received a bit of a shock when Rin had turned the television on and a horror movie had been playing at the time. A bloodcurdling scream had echoed through the lounge and Saber had spun around, anticipating an attack only to find Rin laughing at her.

"It's just a movie, Saber. Calm down."

Needless to say, Saber had wanted to hide in a hole. She shook off the flashbacks. Why did people need movies anyway? According to Rin, there were even some people who became addicted to them! Saber felt she'd never comprehend why people were so interested in watching a bunch of actors in costume run around on a screen, acting (very badly, in her opinion) and not contributing to society in any way (or so she thought). She was already beginning to dread what Shirou had planned.

"You'll like it," Shirou urged, "Trust me." Saber nodded mutely and they paid for their entrance tickets. Saber's first look around Movie Village revealed streets humming with tourists and houses in the traditional Edo-period style. People dressed in Edo-style garb walked among the patrons, stopped once in a while to pose for a photograph with them. She wondered why, in a society so modernised and choc-a-bloc with the pinnacle of technology, people would pay to see a place that looked like it had come straight out of the pages of a history book.

"This is the best! I've always wanted to come here!" Shirou grabbed Saber's hand, causing the king of knights to blush. Come to think of it, she'd been doing a lot of that lately. "But first," exclaimed the gleeful Shirou, "We have to borrow costumes!"

"Borrow.. costumes?" Saber didn't quite understand until Shirou brought her over to a store advertising costume rentals. Inside, racks of kimonos, yukatas and wooden sandals lined one wall while wooden katanas, wigs and samurai and ninja garb lined the other.

"Welcome!" smiled the owners, an elderly couple who greeted Saber and Shirou enthusiastically. "How can we help you?"

"I was looking for costumes for myself and my friend here.." Shirou began, but was cut off by the old man.

"Ah, I see! One moment please!" and with that, he scurried off to rummage through the racks for an outfit for Shirou. Saber attempted to slink away, towards the men's clothes, but was stopped by the man's wife.

"What are you doing, my dear? The women's clothes are on that side!"

"Yes, but I was hoping to carry a sword."

"A sword? Whatever for?" the old woman was flabbergasted.

"Oh, um," Shirou came to her rescue. "My friend here is the president of the kendo club so.."

"Hmm.." tutted the old woman. "That might be so but such a pretty young thing like her shouldn't be wearing men's clothes." Saber wanted to protest but was hushed. "I think we might be able to compromise," smiled the store owner. "Come with me," without leaving room for argument, she bustled Saber away. Shirou watched his exasperated club president with a soft smile. He didn't even notice when the old man appeared from behind.

"That girl, is she your girlfriend?" he asked slyly.

"Wha-!" Shirou stumbled as the man helped him put on a samurai costume. "I-it's not like that!"

"Is that so? Then why were you staring at her?"

Shirou had no idea whatever would have possessed him to say so, especially to someone he'd only just met, but blurted out, "Well you see, there's this girl I was in love with, but she had to leave. I can't just go after another person like that."

"Why do you think that?"

"I don't know." Shirou admitted. "I suppose maybe it would seem like I only loved her superficially if I moved on so fast."

"Well," said the old man, tightening Shirou's sash. "If you love another person, and you're sure of that, wouldn't the one you used to love understand?"

"..." Shirou was unable to reply.

"Mark my word boy, if you don't pursue that girl, you'll regret it. Stop living in the past and move on. Be happy."

"Hn." Shirou grunted, retreating into deep thought. He didn't get much contemplation done, however, as the man's wife soon appeared with Saber bashfully hiding behind her.

"Oh don't be shy, child. Show them what you're wearing!" urged she. Saber was flustered, but reluctantly stepped out, causing Shirou's breath to get stuck in his throat. The girl, who so resembled his Servant was clad in a kimono of red, orange and gold. The backdrop was a stretch of orange silk, punctuated by elegant crimson maple leaves. The obi was gold, patterned with smaller maple leaves and her delicate feet were encased by soft gold sandals. The elderly shopkeeper had decided to skimp on the normally overwhelming geisha makeup, only applying a light blush to her cheeks. The kendo club president's hair was not in its usual tightly wound bun, but in a loose one, held together by a pair of red chopsticks and letting her bangs frame her face. To describe her in one word, Shirou would've said that Aurora's costume encompassed in human form the splendour of an autumn sunset.

"You look… You look.." Shirou struggled to find the right words. "Really.. Cool."

"Th-thank you. You also look.." Saber was lost for words. Shirou was exceptionally handsome in a navy jacket and a light grey male kimono. Above the kimono was a pair of dark grey hakama tied with a length of dark blue sash. With a long wooden katana tucked into his obi, Shirou definitely looked the part of an Edo-style hero of justice.

The old couple ruined the romantic atmosphere by bustling over with wooden swords for the both of them, ushering them out.

"Have fun, you two!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Saber and Shirou spent a good four hours at the movie village, visiting the open air museum, watching a "ninja show" and even going to the haunted house, from which Shirou had emerged quivering. Saber was amused by this; who would've thought that one who had been in a grail war and seen winged horses that could level skyscrapers, Masters who'd been trained assassins and a swarthy giant capable of ripping a man limb from limb would be scared by a haunted house? They travelled quietly, words not needed to express the atmosphere of comfort and friendship and.. More.

Saber and Shirou were just passing a stage, on which actors would perform skits when they heard frustrated complaining from behind it. Curious, they headed in the direction of the noise and saw a burly, bearded man practically shouting down the phone.

"What do you mean you can't make it, Noriko? Harima and Tanaka have already called in sick, how are we gonna perform our last act?"

In his anger, the man seemed oblivious to the two teenagers standing in front of him. He groaned, irritated. "Urgh that's it! Don't bother turning up tomorrow! Yes, I am aware I won't be able to do the show anyway, but it sure does make me feel better. Well, good riddance to you too!" he hung up, snorting with disdain, only to realise Shirou and Saber had heard everything.

"Ah, sorry you had to hear that," he sighed apologetically. "I suppose you kids were wanting to see the show today but I suppose that ain't gonna happen." he hawked and spat on the ground. "My lead actors called in sick and the person I was on the phone with had had a little too much sake last night. I suppose we won't be able to do our last skit. Pity though, it's my favourite."

"O-oh.. Is there something we can do about it?" inquired Shirou, feeling sorry for the man and the scores of excited children he'd seen wanting to see the show.

"Hmmm.." The big man weighed his options. "Not really, unless one or both of you have decent acting skills and know how to swing a sword properly. Especially you, lady, 'cuz the lead female wields a katana."

"As a matter of fact, we do!" piped Shirou and Saber wanted to facepalm. He really took the "hero-of-justice" thing too far sometimes.

"That is.. If it's not too much trouble for you, Aurora." he added, looking to her for consent. Saber sighed but nodded. The director, who introduced himself as Nakamura, was delighted. Instantly, he was showering them with thanks and hustling them away to meet their fellow cast and familiarise themselves with their parts.

Saber looked over the script, blushing. It just had to be a love story! Shirou, too, was blushing, but Nakamura didn't seem to notice.

"There you go!" he beamed. "We go onstage in half an hour. Ask the other actors if you need help. Good luck!"

Saber and Shirou looked at each other, flushed, and quickly made excuses to learn their lines. Behind a stage set, Nakamura rubbed his hands together in glee. It was going to be a good show.

Meanwhile, Saber briefly skimmed through the script. To her great embarrassment, the play was, in a nutshell, one of those where the happy couple are unable to be together for whatever reason and one of them is meant to marry someone else. As she read, Saber cursed the writer, as there were many, many lines she did NOT feel comfortable reading. Why did it have to be so_ cheesy_? And at the end, it involved her in a very..interesting position with Shirou.

"Just admit it. You're looking forward to it," Saber had the urge to throttle the sibilant whisper, which always seemed to make an appearance at the worst of times.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you ready?" Nakamura whispered to Saber and Shirou. The high school students were huddled behind the curtain, both victims of last-minute nerves.

"Y-yeah.." Shirou muttered. He squeezed Aurora's hand, providing reassurance to them both.

"Great! I'll pull up the curtain and the narrator will start reading. Don't forget your lines, guys!" Nakamura sauntered off and sure enough, a minute later, the curtain rose upon a stage empty of all but a backdrop of cherry blossom trees. From the other side of the stage, Shirou saw Nakamura signalling them to move onstage. Someone shoved him roughly, and Shirou practically stumbled onto the stage. The narrator, not waiting forShirou to regain balance, began to read.

"Once upon a time, there lived a poor but kind young man. He lived by himself on the banks of a river, making a living by making swords. This man was called Yuu and he was madly in love with Nozomi, the daughter of a wealthy samurai."

Saber took her verbal cue and strode onstage, still rather unfamiliar with the mechanics of being a effeminate, passive Edo period girl. 'This is so embarrassing!' she thought, as she flicked her fan in front of her face, fluttering it delicately. The narrator continued.

"Now Nozomi too loved him deeply and the two would spend many long hours together by the riverbank, watching the changing leaves." Shirou got down on one knee and took Saber's hand, kissing it gently. Saber went a beautiful tomato colour but maintained the act.

"However, one day, tragedy struck. Nozomi's father arranged for her to be wed to a merchant named Hiroshi. Yuu was heartbroken and he decided to take up the issue with his lover."

Shirou sat on a "rock", still holding Saber's hand in his lap and said, "If only there was a way for you to avoid this marriage!"

"Oh, Yuu," Saber inwardly cringed. "How it pains me to lose you!"

"Never fear, dearest." Saber was awed by Shirou's acting skills (when necessary). "I will be with you always,as it is fate that drew us together and fate that wants to tear us apart!"

Her next line flashed through her mind and Saber spoke without a trace of sarcasm or insincerity that she feared had plagued her earlier lines. "You must not think that way, Yuu. You must move on and be with someone who will never be out of your reach."

Shirou's heart stopped. It was almost as if Saber was telling him that, from wherever she was. Heart pounding in his chest, Shirou replied, "There is but one solution; we must run away together, for I would rather die with you than live without you."

"Oh Yuu! I would scarcely have dared hope! Whence and where shall we meet?"

"By the old cherry blossom tree at midnight, from there we will leave."

"Ah!" Saber twisted around, as if she'd heard a sound. "They're calling for me! Goodbye for now, at midnight shall we meet again!" she kissed him on the cheek, stood up and went offstage. When she was safely behind the curtain, she took several deep breaths to soothe her racing pulse. The next scene began behind her, with Nozomi's father and fiancé discussing their plans to intercept the lovers' escape, Hiroshi having overheard their conversation. The minutes ticked by and soon Saber realised it was time for her entrance. She strode confidently across the stage, addressing her "father".

"Good evening, father. You called?" she asked politely. Shirou watched from behind the curtain on the other side of the stage as Nozomi's father locked her in her room and refused to let her out until she'd agreed to forsake Yuu so he could live. He leant against the wall, thinking quickly.

'Saber.. What would you say if you could see me now? Am I in this for a reason? Are you telling me it's alright to move on?'

For once, the voice that would've normally made some kind of jab at such a thought said nothing. Shirou clenched his fists and almost missed Nakamura's cue for him to get onstage. He did so, glancing quickly at the set, now painted with dark blue hues to represent it being nighttime. His gaze swept his surroundings in an arc, seeing no trace of his lover but of the tall, well-built actor playing Hiroshi.

"Where is she?" Shirou asked cautiously. Hiroshi laughed mirthlessly.

"She must really have loved you; she's agreeing to marry me so your ugly face doesn't end up on the chopping block.

Shirou stepped back. "She did that for me?"

Hiroshi took a step towards him. "Yes. What a pity her efforts are about to go to waste." Two masked men crept up behind Shirou and grabbed his arms. Shirou struggled in their grip and from that position saw Nakamura give him a thumbs up. Keeping up the good act, Shirou snarled

"You'll never get away with this!"

"Oh, I'm shaking," smirked the other man. "Take him away."

The kids gasped and chattered excitedly as Shirou was dragged offstage. Once he was safely backstage, Shirou reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone, which was vibrating in his pocket.

"Hello?"

"Shirou? Where the hell are you now? Why are there excited kids and weird music in the background?"

"Ah, Tosaka.. You see, I brought Aurora to Movie Village and.."

"Move Village? Shirou, you're the worst! You promised you'd take her to Kiyomizudera!"

"Yeah, I know, Tosaka." Shirou brushed off Nakamura, who was telling him to get his butt onstage in five as the next scene was being performed.

"Shirou, who was that? What was he talking about when he said to get onstage? What on earth are you doing over there?"

"T-Tosaka, see, Aurora and I kind of agreed to take part in this skit and all-"

"You forced her into it didn't you, Shirou? How could you?"

"We-well the kids were realy looking forward to seeing us perform and this Nakamura fellow asked if we could fill in for the missing actors."

"Honestly," Rin sighed. "Next thing I know, you'll be kissing babies."

"Well, there was that one time I-"

"No! No! I don't want to know!" Rin clamped her hand over her other ear. "Just.. Go."

"Yeah! Don't worry Tosaka, everything will be fine. Trust me." Shirou hung up with a sigh. He was so going to be killed when he got back..

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Next scene. Setting: a stereotypical dungeon.

Shirou leaned dejectedly against the 'bars' of his prison. He drew swirling patterns on the floor, stopping when he heard footsteps approaching. Looking up, he saw Aurora hurrying towards him and his heart leapt.

"Nozomi, what are you doing here?" Shirou reached out and clasped her hands through the bars.

"I found out everything from my maid," she whispered. "I'm getting you out of here."

"But you could be killed!" Shirou protested.

"It matters not." The locks fell to the ground with a clink. "We must run, now."

Shirou opened his mouth to reply but at that moment, a troupe of armed samurai guards poured into the jail, roaring their fury.

"Take this!" Aurora tossed Shirou a sword and they began to press through the horde. The actors hired to play the samurai guards were very well trained and they fell back just as they felt Shirou or Saber's swords make contact with their armour, resulting in a pretty realistic battle scene. In the carnage, the two managed to escape, steal Hiroshi's horse and ride off to the next town. There, they sat down to rest, the adrenaline from the combat fading from their veins.

"Yuu, I.." Saber did not meet his eyes. "I should never have dragged you into this. Now where are we to go? What will we do?" Seeing his stony face, she continued. "Perhaps it would be best if I returned and you fled to another village and-"

Shirou stepped forward, taking her in his arms, dipping her slightly and staring intensely into her eyes. The blush on her face could never have been that of a mere actress. "I won't hear any of that," he said. "We're in this together. I can become a Samurai and with your sword skills, maybe you could too. I'll take you anywhere!"

"Sh-Yuu that's.." Saber nearly called him Shirou by accident, being thrown off balance by his actions. Was he really acting or was this…?

Shirou didn't really hear the kids in the background calling "Kiss! Kiss!". He didn't really hear the other actors whispering things like "cute couple, don't you think?" or Nakamura wolf whistling. There was nothing else in the precious milliseconds where he dipped his face to hers and their lips met. The children cheered, the actors clapped and Nakamura's jaw dropped.

"O-oi! That wasn't in the script…"

But of course, nobody listened.

* * *

><p>AN: Well a staged kiss counts as a kiss, right? Or not? Wait til next chapter to find out! Leave 70 reviews at the door and the next one will be up in a jiffy - wrapping up the Kyoto story arc and beginning the final one! Drum rooooooolllllll!


	10. Banquet

A/N:my good marks have prompted me to write more before I leave soon on holiday~ This chapter finishes the Kyoto field trip arc and the chapters that follow will sadly be the last arc. Thanks to everyone that has reviewed and I hope you like this one!

* * *

><p>"Goodbye! Have a safe trip!" The old couple from the costume rental waved them off. Shirou and Saber left with a wave, Saber's head still down and her face still a lovely beet red. They were wearing the clothes they'd worn before but had their costumes in a bag as a parting gift from Nakamura, who, unbeknownst to them, was quite an influential manager of Movie Village. Shirou sweatdropped when he remembered how those gifts had come to be.<p>

* * *

><p>Shirou and Saber were ambushed as soon as the curtain dropped by a gaggle of excited actors.<p>

"That was brilliant! For a couple of kids you act really well!" gushed one actor.

"It was a very nice romantic touch," agreed Hiroshi's actor.

"Ahahaha it was nothing," Shirou tried to be modest as Saber decided to become as small and inconspicuous as possible. Nakamura jogged over to them, ecstatic.

"There you are! Thanks to you, I've acquired some excellent footage!"

"F-footage!" Shirou gasped, as Nakamura held up a camera.

"Yep! It's all on here and it's going to make an amazing new advertisement for the Village! If you guys are alright with it, that is."

"W-wait a sec! That's.." Shirou groaned as the grown man made puppy dog eyes at him. "Argh, fine!" he conceded and Nakamura beamed.

"Thank you very much! As a reward, I think I'll let you keep those costumes." Nakamura ripped a piece of paper out of his notebook and scribbled a note to costume hire. Behind the paper, Nakamura's gaze roved over Saber and Shirou, culminating in a smirk.

Oh, those two were so smitten.

* * *

><p>Shirou and Saber disembarked from the bus, finding themselves in the Higashiyama district. Shirou pretended to be engrossed in scrying the map in his hands and Saber stared off into the distance. Since the kiss, neither of them had been able to work up the courage to address the other. Saber didn't, or couldn't meet Shirou's eyes, a battle raging in her heart.<p>

"What was that earlier?" Saber asked the voice, praying for an answer. "Did he do that just for the audience or was that..?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," the voice said nastily. "Don't you think it's obvious?"

"I don't know." Saber frowned. "I realise that most people wouldn't believe in the concept of a medieval king simply walking among them but this is ridiculous! It's like Shirou is trying to persuade himself it isn't true."

"Bingo." That was all the voice had to say. "So what will you do about it?"

"I could ask Rin to tell him, but would he believe her? He refuses to even see what is before him."

"Aha. Since you know now, I'll leave you to your soul-searching, Arturia. I will give you one word of advice: there are just some opportunities that present themselves once in a lifetime. I suggest you seize them with both hands." With that cryptic statement, Saber probed her mind's darkness but the voice was unyieldingly mute.

Saber looked back at the brunette ex Master. 'I guess this is it,' she thought.

'this is one of those times.'

Feeling her gaze on him, Shirou finally stopped staring blankly at the roads and landmarks on the map, which had all blurred into a mass of blacks, blues and greens, overrun by twisting, vine-like lines. Faced with the inevitable, he opened his mouth and spoke.

"Hey, Aurora. About just now, that was.."

He didn't get to finish his sentence; she did. "..for the children, am I correct?"

Taken aback slightly, Shirou felt relieved that she'd interpreted his gesture as such, but beneath the relief was a strong undercurrent of disappointment. He violently sent it to the back of his mind and forced a smile. "Y-yeah. So no hard feelings, right?"

"Of course." He and Aurora resumed a dialogue after that, admiring row upon row of teahouses and souvenir shops. Autumn patterned kimonos were on sale, the kimonos in the shop windows a mosaic of pinks, mauves, reds, oranges, blacks and yellows. On these elaborate fabrics, Shirou and Saber saw a myriad of images, each an artist's interpretation of uniquely Japanese autumn splendour. Black silk, emphasising falling maple leaves. A sea of scarlet, peach and saffron, spectacular chiaroscuro against sky blue - autumn maples against a sunny sky. Cranes, ivory plumage fluttering around them as they took flight from an azure river, amber sunset at their backs. Shirou's eyes eagerly drank in the sights, revelling in their beauty and that of the one beside him. Inside, Saber was a confused mess of fluttering nerves and frustration at her own weakness. Feeling so good had to be wrong. It had to be. For someone who had lived her entire life to serve others, Saber was, at best, a novice at understanding the concepts of personal ambitions, desires, pains and pleasure. Her feelings, being (for once in her life) almost entirely self-centred were, to put it lightly, new and unpleasant and evoked a curious mixture of guilt and satisfaction from the powerful ex-Servant. Shirou tore his gaze from the streets of Higashiyama and stared unashamedly at Aurora.

'Man, she's beautiful. Really like Saber..' a smile tugged at the corners of Shirou's lips as he took in the way her tourmaline eyes roved over the shops, the genteel way she lifted one small white hand to brush away a stray strand of hair and the proud angle of her head as she surveyed what was before her, reminiscent of a mighty ruler admiring his hard-earned domain. Shirou felt as if there was something pushing from the inside of his heart, demanding release. The quiescence suddenly became abhorrent to him and Shirou searched for something, anything that would allow him a chance to enjoy every nuance of her voice.

"Hey Aurora, you hungry?

XXXXXXXX

Shirou's eyes bulged and his jaw dropped comically as he watched Aurora raise her bowl to her lips and drink the soup, finishing what looked to be her fourth bowl. Behind him, he could hear one of the waiters muttering something about foreigners having large appetites. Aurora didn't seem fazed at all by the surprise of he friend and merely bowed her head, thanking the chef for the meal. It was only when she lifted her head to thank Shirou that she realised that he only had one empty bowl in front of him, whereas she had four.

"Aurora, I never knew you at that much!" Shirou heartily guffawed at her reddened face.

"It's not nice to tease," she said, avoiding his eyes and pretending to be affronted.

"Don't worry," Shirou winked. "I won't tell anyone you eat like a sumo."

"A sumo?"

Meanwhile, Issei and a group of his friends were passing the restaurant, and Issei stopped to stare. He watched as Shirou and the transfer girl squabbled over who was going to pay, finally settling on splitting the bill. He watched as they headed up the hill, Shirou buying them both ice creams, and arrive at Kiyomizudera. 'That's funny.' Issei thought.

'From here it looks like they're going on a date.'

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Wow.." Saber stared upwards at the large, majestic gates in front of the temples, and the stone lions flanking it like a pair of protective sentinels. It was late in the afternoon, and dulcet notes of sunshine were causing the faded gold on the gates to glitter like topaz jewels. Shirou smirked at the transformation from the reserved, detached club president most knew and followed her inside. The first shrine was empty save for a pair of iron monks' staves in the centre. The floorboards were immaculately polished and the ornately carved roof showed no signs of having being built hundreds of years ago. A small crowd had gathered around the staves and it looked as if some of them were trying to pick them up.

"Ugh, it sure is heavy!" a young man grunted, his face contorted with the effort of trying to carry one.

"Ah, I give up," his companion agreed, releasing his grip on the other staff and stepping back to mop the sweat from his brow. Shirou and Saber neared them and exchanged meaningful glances. Then, Saber proceeded to elicit gasps of surprise from everyone present by lifting a staff one-handed, displaying none of the exertion that it had cost large men to lift it. As they walked away, Saber resisted the urge to roll her eyes while Shirou looked duly impressed.

"As expected from the monster of our kendo team."

Saber's face flushed and she looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Outside the shrine, they found the famous "Kiyomizu Stage". The stage was every bit as magnificent as postcards always depicted it - overlooking a good part of Kyoto and bedecked by the rouge and golden hues of the maple trees beneath.

"Amazing, isn't it Aurora!" Shirou remarked. "They say that if you made a wish then jumped off the stage and survived, your wish would be granted!"

"Really?" Saber personally felt it was extremely strange, if not suicidal, but did not express this.

"Yeah." Shirou placed both arms on the balustrade and looked down at the canopies below. "Can you believe that, though? What kind of wish would be worth that?" He added the last bit as a bitter afterthought.

"Well," Saber mimicked his pose. "There might be some wishes that carry that kind of importance."

"Maybe. But everyone knows wishes don't actually come true."

"What makes you say that?" Saber was slightly surprised to hear the normally optimistic Shirou speak that way.

Shirou hesitated, but plunged on ahead. "There was a time that I could've.. Made a wish.. But then I realised that our wishes, based purely on selfishness.. May not deserve being granted."

"Hmm, it depends, I think." Saber's answer caused Shirou to look at her in surprise. "I agree that our wishes are always expressions of self-interest but.. Sometimes fate would have us have our way."

"?" Shirou was confused.

"For example, um.." Saber wracked her brains and received a sudden flash of inspiration. "Say there was this person you wished you could meet again. If you weren't fated to do so, you could wish all you wanted, and you'd never see them again. On the other hand, if you were destined to, I'm sure that somehow, someday you would be reunited."

Shirou felt a pang as he recalled Saber disappearing after the destruction of the Grail but swallowed it. "So are you one of those people that subscribe to the 'we're-all-puppets-of-fate theory?'"

"No." Saber stared off at the skyline of Kyoto, now streaked with orange and magentas. "I believe fate merely pushes us towards the important decisions in life. From then on we.. We write the script."

"So if there was such a person, and fate didn't want you to meet, you'd never meet them again?" Saber's heart clenched at the pain in Shirou's voice, knowing to whom he referred. However, she remembered something, something that literally felt as though it had been said a lifetime ago.

_"Do you behold, King Arthur, the continuation of your dream?" _

'Yes,' she thought. 'Even if I never did return to Shirou, I would still have been by his side, even if only in dreams. Just to see him, to know he would be safe.. That would've been enough for me.'

"Even if you never saw them again," Saber started, "I don't think it'd really matter. If your feelings of friendship or love towards them were strong, I think that you'd be with them. Always."

No one spoke after that as they were too busy being entranced by the scenery from the stage. Patches of pale blue had materialised, signalling the day was coming to an end. A soft wind blew, causing Saber's hair to sway delicately, reminiscent of gossamer-thin willow leaves and Shirou watched her. His mind was elsewhere, though.

'With me always, huh?'

* * *

><p>Shirou and Saber spent the last vestiges of the afternoon enjoying the rest of Kiyomizudera's facilities such as the Otowa waterfalls, the jizo statues and the pagoda before returning to the hotel. That night, Taiga had proposed that the teachers take the students to a nearby restaurant to celebrate their last day in Kyoto, to which the other teachers were more than happy to agree. They sat at a table away from the students, laughing, joking and drinking bottle after bottle of sake. Taiga was beginning to become flushed, but continued to call out, "One more, one more!"<p>

At the same time, Shirou and Saber lost themselves in the camaderie and excitement. Issei had an arm around Shirou and was imitating Taiga, exaggerating her mildly drunken movements. Some distance away, Rin had her head close to Saber's and was whispering something into her ear. Saber blushed upon hearing this and protested while Rin snickered in amusement. Shirou was struck by a sudden desire to know what they were discussing, but forced himself to focus on what Issei was saying.

"..and that's not all! We went to Yasui Konpira-gu shrine and crawled through the famous tunnel! No more bad luck for me!" the Student Council president crowed triumphantly.

"Ah, I wanted to go there too, but we spent too much time at an arcade.." another boy sighed wistfully.

"Yeah, that's too bad," said Issei distractedly, but then sat bolt upright and looked at Shirou. "Oh yeah, that's right! On the way there, we saw Shirou and the kendo club president!"

"Ehh, for real?" a freckly boy called Maro, whom Shirou recognised from the kendo club spoke. "What were they doing?"

"Um, having lunch, teasing each other, going to Kiyomizudera.." Issei held up fingers as he ticked them off. "A bit like a date really."

"Woah, Shirou! Never knew you were into the tsundere types!" Maro teased.

"W-wha-!" Shirou was caught off guard. "No way! How?"

"We-ell," Maro had a very cat-ate-the-canary grin on his freckled face. "First Tosaka, then buchou. Never pegged you as the type who'd like complete and utter ice cubes."

"There is not, and has never been anything between me and Tosaka!"

"You never mentioned buchou," added Maro.

"That's.." Shirou searched desperately for anything to avoid the subject. "Never mind that, why the heck were you stalking me, Issei?"

"I wasn't stalking you." Issei was impassive, leading Shirou to realise he was telling the truth. "My group and I were in the same area around the same time. We saw you two going to a restaurant and then heading towards Kiyomizudera, where we'd been. It looked pre-tty interesting too, so we thought we'd stop to watch a little."

"Urgh, you're such a busybody," Shirou complained.

"You know you love my concern."

"I dunno why you're so annoyed, Shirou." said Maro. "You seemed to have had a really good time with buchou this trip. Not to mention you.." he trailed off and then sat where he was soundlessly, as if what he'd wanted to say had been something worth punishment.

"I what?"

"Nevermind."

"Come on man, tell me."

"No."

"Spill."

"Okay, I know you're gonna kill me but.." Maro looked to Issei pleadingly.

"You two looked like a pretty good couple."

Shirou didn't say much for the rest of the dinner, instead pretending to be fascinated by Taiga becoming intoxicated and weaving, inebriated, around the tables, hugging random students and generally making a fool of herself. Shirou noted mentally to remind her of this once she sobered up. However, as soon as they returned to the hotel, Shirou immediately engaged Issei and Maro in a pillow fight, causing the usually peaceful inn to echo with the sounds of teenagers guffawing. The staff didn't mind too much though, and the festivities distracted Shirou, at least for a time, from his overwhelming questions. It simply wasn't the time for laments or indecisions.

A/N: Kind of short, I thought but ultimately it's your opinion that matters! Challenge: can you guys do ninety reviews? These things are gold to us authors, you know! Hopefully the sun and sand will give me some inspiration to write some more.. Okay, give you a hint for the last arc - festive. Major developments coming up, stay tuned!


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